Way Before My Time
by giraffeduelist
Summary: All Might dies during Izuku's third year at UA and has to figure out how to deal with the loss, but a certain encounter with a time manipulation quirk sends him back to a time where he no longer is forced to face reality without his favorite hero. How does he get back to his own time? or better yet, does he really want to go back?
1. Chapter 1

"Izuku, All Might is dead."

Izuku's hand shook in horror and pain. The voice on the other side of the phone was getting harder to hear through the waves crashing through his mind. First it was denial. "No...no, this is a joke. A cruel joke. He can't be…"

Then came the anger. "How?! He was getting better, Katsuki! He can't just be dead!" He had been numb the entire ride to the hospital and now, as the doctors refused him access to his mentor's hospital room, his burning rage turned to the person who had given him the terrible news.

"He stopped breathing last night after the surgery." Katsuki's voice was dangerously quiet. It held the same tone as that night when he fought after the Kamino Ward incident. Izuku was too angry to notice.

"The surgery was for his legs! His stupid, broken legs! How did he stop breathing when…" Izuku was close to panic now, the tears stubbornly running down his face. "There should've been doctors there. Where were the doctors?" His anger sizzled and turned back to denial.

It got worse during the funeral. He refused to talk during the event. All Might wasn't in that dark casket. Those flowers weren't for him. It was a joke. Everyone who got up, wasted their time writing a speech, was a joke. Each of his classmates were there. Mirio and Eri were too, although neither really knew him. Not like him and his mother.

It made no sense. The world made no sense. How could the world exist without All might? He had changed it, reformed it. How could he die when all he had done was still so fragile. When the world still needed their Symbol of Peace?

There hadn't been a viewing, and All Might never mentioned a will, so everything he owned was donated or sold. All, except for the few boxes All Might had given to them before going into the hospital. Once the funeral was over, Izuku and his mother went back home to open their boxes. Once they did, the denial turned into depression.

All Might left him journals, drawings, comics and a few overly cheesy suit designs, a few he recognized from his days at UA. His mentor, his father, had given him the very foundation that All Might was built upon. He wanted to be a hero because of the comics he read. He started to draw because of the comics he read and he wrote because he would achieve his dream. He has achieved it.

His mother got his American movie collection -which took up most of the box- and a few pictures of him through his years. The first was of him and who he had told Izuku was his master. His mother. They smiled next to a grumpy Gran Torino, who was now old and far grumpier. Too grumpy to attend his student's funeral, apparently, or perhaps the old man had died as well. No one would know.

His mother cried when she saw the more recent pictures. Of them, as a family. Izuku recognized a picture he had taken only a few weeks ago, of All Might in his tracksuit and Izuku running with him in his own. Both had the worlds 'Plus Ultra' on them, but All Might's had the words 'Deku' on the back. He cried when he first saw it. Mom had demanded she get one after seeing it.

"He was so happy, Izuku." She sniffed, still in her black dress and shawl. "Smiling in every single one of these. Look!" She showed him one, though her hand shook too much for him to really see what the picture was of. "Isn't that the scientist you met a few summers ago? David Shields?"

The reminder made Izuku stop. Professor Shields was All Might's best friend, even now, but he wasn't at the funeral. He'd just gotten off of house arrest a month before All Might went to the hospital. He visited and they showed Melissa all of Musutafu. That was the last time either had seen him.

His mother's hand wiped the tears he wasn't aware were falling from his face. She gave him a shaky smile and stood up slowly, sighing. "I should fame these. Hang them up on our family wall. What do you say?" when he didn't respond, she walked back to her room and began measuring each and every picture. Most of them were too small to be hung up, so they'd go into the scrap book.

Turning back to his own box, he slowly picked up the comic books, each magazine page worn with use and a few tapped together in several places. His sketchbook held mostly drawings of heroes, both from his comics and from his time. The last ten pages were devoted to Gran Torino and his mother. He drew her like he did any other comic hero. It fit her so well. The very last page was of himself, wearing his third year hero suit from UA, smiling with a faded woman behind him. His master had died the summer before he went to his third year.

All Might died in the middle of Izuku's third year.

A tear landed on the thin paper, smearing the graphite lines and Izuku panicked. He tried to rub it away, but the led followed, ruining the picture. He tried to erase the extra marks, but the paper ripped, leaving an ugly hole were All Might's fist had been.

Izuku cried for the rest of the day and halfway through the night. He had ruined All Might's picture, one that he had drawn in his time of grief. One that showed both his pain and power. One that no one else would see. He had ruined it. He had ruined All Might.

He never touched the sketch book again. Izuku couldn't handle looking at his mistake. The comics became too fragile to read, having endured both All Might and Izuku's full use. They just couldn't hold out any longer, like All might.

Izuku read through the journals on the day he graduated from UA. He had pretended to be happy fairly well. He smiled and ate with his friends, even went out with them after the graduation. He celebrated and partied, up until All Might came back into mind. With a lie of being tired, he went back home.

All Might had been so similar to Izuku during his childhood. His mother had left after finding out he was quirkless. What good was a quirkless boy to a pro-quirk activist? His father tried to support him, but he gave up once All Might decided to go down the path of heroism. He drank away his sorrows until All Might couldn't legally stay with him. When he was drunk more often than sober.

His master had trained him for longer then All Might had trained Izuku. She set him up with a plan, similar to Izuku's, but there was no dirty beach to clean. He wrestled with her more than All Might had with him, but that didn't matter. If his first year finals was anything to go by, it might have killed him.

What made Izuku cry was when All Might wrote about the way he felt when training. The way he talked about his master as if she were an angel. She gave him what he needed to achieve his goals, his dreams. She supported him and loved him through every trial and hardship. She chose to keep him when All For One killed her family and she sent away her son. He admired every part of her, just like Izuku admired him.

But even years into his hero career, saving people left and right, working to become what All Might wanted him to be, he still couldn't fully accept that his father was gone. He cried for his mentor often, nearly every day. He thought of the one person he couldn't save when he protected those he could.

As Izuku lived, he asked one question. When will he learn to be happy again?

And one night, meeting a panicked older woman with a time manipulation quirk, he found out that answer.


	2. Chapter 2

Izuku hit the hard concrete and swore he had died.

His shoulder would definitely bruise, that was for sure. His arms were protected by the braces in his suit and his metal shoes clicked against the floor loudly as he got up. His hood flew away from his unruly green curls and he huffed out air as he analyzed his surroundings.

The streets were quieter than they had been a few seconds ago. Maybe a villain was around? No, he hadn't seen one before the world went dark. The older woman probably ran away after punching him in the face. It wasn't the first time a woman had punched him, that being when he accidentally brushed his fingers against Ashido's butt and she thought he was Mineta. Remembering his old class made his heart ache. He didn't want to think about the fact that half of them hadn't survived to graduation.

Dusting off his hero suit, Izuku looked around the streets again, but paused when he noticed the few pedestrians that had been outside were staring directly at him. A few started walking again and others looked up at the sky.

He looked up too and paused to see a hole in the clouds, as if someone had dropped a ball from the sky. Had that been him? He remembered getting punched, falling on the ground, but the sensation was strange. He didn't feel the ground hit when it should've. It took a while before he actually landed and how could falling backward hurt so much?

"Hey!" A very deep voice called to him from behind him and instinct told him to raise his fists and expect a fight. You could never be too careful.

Turning around, he was greeted by what looked like another hero, although their outfit was kind of...old? Dull? It was simply a track suit with yellow gloves and a dark mask. His hair spiked back like vanilla ice cream after you bite it, the color matching the comparison. A few strands hung in front of his masked face and the roots of his hair was a dark black. Bleached hair. Nice.

The hero's face contorted into a furious expression. "You!" He pointed.

Izuku looked behind himself in confusion. Was he talking to a villain somewhere else? Surely a hero wouldn't talk to another hero like that. At least not in public. Turning back around, he pointed to himself and the other hero huffed.

"Yes, you!" at Izuku's confused expression, he walked over but didn't get the chance to touch him. The green haired boy went back into a fighting stance and kept his eyes on the other. The other hero ignored him and crossed his arms. "Who are you? You fall out of the sky and just look around like some idiot. And what's up with your dumb outfit?" He openly judged.

"Oh! Um, I'm not sure. I was helping a woman and then I fell, but I don't remember going into the air either. Maybe it was her quirk? A push quirk isn't impossible. Mom has an attraction quirk so it would make sense to have an existing retraction quirk, but she didn't punch me up. If anything I was punched into the ground, and now that I think about it…" He continued to mutter, only stopping when the hero looked at him with a surprised look.

"You know you're talking out loud, right?"

Izuku rubbed at his head and nodded. "Yeah, I have a tendency to do that. Sorry."

A crash stopped them both. A woman with a Minotaur quirk burst through the wall of the closest building and roared at the few people on the street. "Tokyo is mine now!"

The hero beside him sighed and muttered, "Just when I get off duty." He sped forward, almost too fast for Izuku to see, and punched the villain before she could move to defend herself. Izuku was about to jump in and help, but the holes on the bottom of the hero's shoes made him pause. He'd only seen one other person who needed holed in his shoes and that was for his jet...quirk…

"Gran Torino?!" He shouted aloud, shock stopping him from moving. There was no way.

"You're pretty useless for a hero!" He called back, kicking and punching the villain over and over. She didn't last long, especially after he gave her a particularly strong punch to the stomach. She fell onto the floor, the bags of money she held going down with her. Gran Torino cuffed her and made a call on his low generation phone. It looked more like an old ipod than anything else.

Izuku walked forward, still in a state of shock, seeing the now younger hero -although, he still looked older than him. "This isn't real. You're old and you...you haven't been out and about since…" he didn't want to remember Kamino Ward or think about All Might so he moved on quickly. "But you are and...that means I must be from the future? Or, maybe this is the past? It can't be a dream. I would have woken up before hitting the ground. Maybe it was a quirk. A quirk like that could come in handy. Especially when-"

Before he could continue his muttering, a gloved hand took hold of his suit and he was suddenly inches away from Gran Torino's frowning face. "Shut up for once. I swear, you're worse than Whirlwind." A _ding_ from his 'phone' pulled his attention away. Izuku was freed from the death grip, thankfully.

He had been sent back in time like some sci-fi movie. It was strange, actually experiencing something so...unnatural, even in a world of powers. Time travel quriks were more rare then teleportation quirks. But if that was really Gran Torino then maybe he could get some help. He didn't want to stay here for the rest of his life. His mother would worry if he suddenly disappeared. His friends would cry for him. He'd end his career before he had the chance to became the Symbol of Peace.

"You really have to stop talking so much." The older man flicked his head and started walking away.

Rubbing at the now sore spot on his head, Izuku followed. "Wait! I have to go with you! I'm from the fu-"

Gran Torino's glare made him stop. "You need to walk around with someone else to feel safe? Then why are you a hero? Fix your own problems instead of giving them to me." With another grunt, the other man was gone and Izuku was left alone with the villain, sirens sounding from the distance.

He was alone again. Right. He just needed a plan. Maybe he could earn some money and find a place to stay? show someone his ID and prove he was from the future. The idea of telling others made him worry, though. He'd seen movies were people did tell and it ended badly every time. People would interrogate him for information, for a way to travel through time as well. They would dissect him for his quirk and One For All would be lost to science. He couldn't do that.

**...**

Izuku was able to find a place to live, as shady as it was. He only had what was on him and he doubted his bank account would be useful until over 30 years into the future, so he stayed at a homeless shelter. He wrapped up in a ratted blanket and made sure all of his hero gear was either on his body or close enough to his body to notice if someone took it. He didn't want to assume the worst but those who were in need could get desperate, especially if a fancy hero slept close enough to steal from.

It was the era of early heroes, an age he'd learned about in school. Midnight had told them to pick a hero from the age and he decided to research on Gran Torino. He knew he old man and All Might knew him better. It was a smart decision. It was also a good excuse to learn more about the old man's quirk and history. He wrote every word down in his notebook.

Maybe he could keep a tab on the hero if he managed to track his hero career. First, he got his license. Then, he teamed up with another hero named Whirlwind, someone both decided not to mention more of -it was likely a sensitive subject. From what Gran Torino said today, he had already teamed with her and was faily far into his career. A good sign. He knew the latter stuff best. Izuku still felt disconnected to his present. A part of his mind stayed in denial to cover the majority of his shock. He'd have a panic attack later on, he knew, but until then, he had to plan.

"You look awful fancy, young man." An older woman slept beside him in the shelter, smiling nicely.

"I'm a hero." He responded with his own smile. He was ready to feel the wrath of a hero-hating citizen, which was common in this time.

"A hero? Oh, that's so nice. You know, the best place for heroes is down town. That's where the bad stuff happens." She clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Saw a little girl getting beaten just the other day. Lots of villains over there."

"Oh, thank you." He would have to check out the area tomorrow. There was no way children were going to get killed or beaten while he had anything to say about it.

"oh, don't thank me. I just want those poor souls to get some protecting." She slowly laid down in the dirty bed.

"what about you? I could try and help you somehow. Being homeless isn't ideal for anyone. " the understatement of the year.

She patted his knee and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "You're too sweet, but you should focus on getting yourself out of this shelter before you worry about little old me."

The contact reminded him of mother, her green hair slowly growing sliver, the wrinkles starting to drag her features. Her energy never depleted, she still acted you, but her time was ticking. She would eventual end up the same as this old lady here, alone and old. Izuku was glad the woman across from him started to sleep, because he started to cry. How dare he think so poorly of such a kind woman? How dare he think of his own mother like that? His mother was aging, but she wasn't old. No where near it. She was happy and would continue to be so until the day she died. Like All Might had been.

The thought sent his mind into a panic. His mother was wondering where he was. The world was missing him. He was losing time, but he had no idea how to get back to his own time.

He was stuck, in the past, with nothing. No friends, no money, nothing. When he thought about it, his time didn't even exist. It was just a blip in time. A second in the length of eternity and how was he supposed to get back when he hadn't memorized the day, let a lone the second. If he chose a different time to come back, would there be two of him? Would he being here create a separate time line? A time that could end up ruining his own time? Maybe his mother would never be born. He would never be born. Would he disappear or did time travel even work like that? Someone told him that it didn't once. Maybe it was Iida?

He was breathing too quickly, too loudly and everything crashed onto him at once. He was in a separate time for the foreseeable future. Not his future. A few other homeless people from the shelter shouted to shut up, but he couldn't. They didn't understand where he had come from. What the world was like to him, and that he had nothing. Not even his memories were useful to him.

He had ever been so alone.


	3. Chapter 3

Izuku did as he had promised and patrolled around downtown Tokyo. It was quiet, which was no help to his frantic mind. He jumped at every noise, every creek. He managed to stop a drug deal after a rough breakfast -consisting of expired muffins the shelter gave out and a can of soda he found on the floor, un opened- and the police gave him looks at he turned them in.

"Are you a licensed hero?" One asked, cuffing the group of thugs and shoving them into the car.

Izuku panicked. He couldn't just hand over his license! They would notice the year and he'd probably get thrown in jail for misuse of his quirks and faking his ID. No, don't overthink it. He'd just asking. Why would he need to see the license in order to prove it? Would a simple cop really ask to see his license. "Yeeeesss." His mouth spoke as his mind stopped working. He sounded so dumb.

"Hm. You must be newer then. I haven't seen you around before. Isn't your power kind of like Whirlwind's?"

The green haired hero let out a deep breath. Thank goodness. "Thank you for your hard work, officer!" he mirrored All Might's bright smile. "I'll see you around here." With that, Izuku left to continue his patrol.

For being down town, it was awful calm. Maybe the mayhem happened late at night. Maybe he could take another patrol later at night-

An explosion interrupted Izuku's thoughts. A few blocks away, the glass of an old restaurant burst and a gang of villains laughed as they carried large devices in their arms. He couldn't get a close enough look to see if they were weapons or stolen gadgets.

Rushing forward, Izuku hit the first and biggest villain with a Texis Smash. The others didn't have time to react -they likely hadn't even seen him approach with his speed- and three other gang members followed. It was almost too easy, knocking them unconscious, wrapping their limp bodies with the new quirk-suppressing rope the police department of his time had given the heroes. He didn't want to use it in this time, seeing how new technology would likely mess things up, but he was out of options.

A closer look at the devices showed that they were used for security. They didn't look damaged or stolen. A restaurant wouldn't have signal cutters. They were a very low generation version of what the police would use for raid missions. It acted as an invisible wall that kept everyone inside disconnected and trapped. This generation of device would likely only be able to take away whatever wifi the civilians were using.

Setting three devices next to the villains, -but not close enough to each- Izuku slowly made his way into the restaurant. It didn't look like a hostage case, but he could never be too sure.

The inside of the restaurant was empty. The floor was covered in glass and the seats closer to the window frame were burned. Likely from the explosion.

"Get back in line!"

It came from above him. Carefully, Izuku looked for a way up to the next level but couldn't find any. The villains likely hadn't seen him yet and he could easily jump up to that level and just break through a window. It would be risky, especially if this ended up as a hostage case, but he had to do something and fast.

Making his way around the back, he saw silhouettes of large men and heard someone scream then more yelling. He really had to get up there. Izuku got down into a squatting position like he'd done so many times. He felt One For All flare through his veins, up his arms and through his legs. He couldn't over do it. He couldn't risk breaking into the wrong room and the villains killing whoever was inside with them.

He aimed for the window as he jumped and punched through the window. He made sure to cover his face from the spray of broken glass and landed on both feet. There were three villains with animal quirks and two others with hidden quirks. The screams and cries came from behind a table turned on it's side. Likely to keep them in the same place without overly exposing them.

"What the-" The bull quirked villain didn't get the chance to finish his question before he was sent out the opposite window by another Texas Smash. The two others reacted fast, getting into a fighting stance and even charging at him. The woman with a lizard quirk leaped for him first. He blocked her scratch with his gloved arm and kicked her back. The villain with an ant-eater head wrapped his tongue around Izuku, pulling him with surprising strength into a beam that held the roof up.

The entire restaurant shook when he hit. Izuku shook the blow of quickly, grabbing the tongue and pulling the villain toward him for a kick, but his foot was stuck. Looking down, he saw the swirls of mud surrounding his legs. He was stuck.

The impact of the villain hitting him got the hero out of the sticky mud. Izuku kicked the villain on top of him off, hitting the lizard woman. THe mud started shifting toward him and as Izuku was about to move out of the way, a force field surrounded him. One For All stopped responding.

The mud returned and began bubbling higher, the force field acting as a vacuum for the substance. His shoes and clothes become soaked with mud, his skin feeling irritated as it grew higher. He tried to throw a punch as the walls around him, but it was too weak. He couldn't use his quirk. The villain holding the force field laughed.

"It's called Cancel Bubble. It renders you quirkless while inside. There's no way for you to get out, Hero. You'll suffocate in there."

Izuku tried his best to shove away the part of his mind that wanted to panic. He was not a coward. He could do this without his quirk. He'd had to do similar things before. "Oh really?" Izuku smirked at the villain. "And what makes you think you have the time for me to suffocate? The police are on their way now."

The villain's face fell. "You're bluffing!" He shouted it as if he had insulted his mother.

"That explosion wasn't exactly stealthy. Everyone within a mile's radius could hear that." Izuku was more surprised by the lack of planning. Maybe those devices by the front would've given them more stealth? Time?

"He's right, dog!" The ant-eater looked at the lizard woman. "We're gonna get busted."

Dog? Who said that anymore? Other than Present Mic?

"What kind of villain are you?! You get scared when the police come?! You want your mama?! Too bad! We have a job to do!" She hissed back at him and turned her attention to Izuku. The mud started bubbling faster. He was now waist deep, his quirk suppressing cuffs were going to get ruined.

Suddenly, the force field was gone, the mud spilling out onto the floor and the man who was holding it fell to the floor. A mother with a baby strapped on her back held up a metal pipe. She glared angrily at the villain.

Recovering from the shock, Izuku felt two black rope-like streams flow out of his arms and attach to two chairs. He flew them at the two mutant villains and held them down with the streams. A few of the civilians began jumping from behind the table and helped tie the villains.

The combat was over. Izuku had saved these people. With a sigh, he let go of the streams and sat back. He could hear the police sirens coming closer. Two fights in a few minutes. It was nice to be active again. His time of Tokyo was starting to get repetitive. This age seemed a lot more corrupted by villainy.

Izuku saw a flash of yellow out of the corner of his eye and he looked up just in time to see one of the kids jump through the window he had entered the room. Shooting up, he looked out and saw the kid stumble as he fell but looked otherwise fine. It wasn't too far down, but further than most people were comfortable with jumping.

As the kid started to run, Izuku's heart began pumping again. His mouth went dry and his eyes bulged. He knew that messy blond hair. He knew those long bangs, and he knew those bright eyes. His heart heaved and ached as he remembered the last time he had seen them. Years. He suddenly couldn't breathe.

All Might was getting away. Izuku jumped down, landing awkward and he fell on his side. His eyes never left All Might. The blond snuck past a gate and Izuku was up again, chasing.

He could see the fear when All Might looked back at him. He ran faster, and Izuku easily gained ground on him. He didn't stop as All Might jumped a fence and slid under a clothing line. He didn't hesitate to scale a building when he slid into a widow and ran through a store. He could only focus on chasing him. He couldn't let All Might leave.

What did stop him was when he turned a corner and the blond was gone. Izuku gasped and looked in every corner. He ran down a few blocks, searched the store he had run through, checked every crack in the wall. He was gone.

Izuku's heart hammered against his lungs, depriving him of air. He choked and fell to his knees. He hadn't even though that his mentor would be alive at this time. He never dared think about him. Not when it hurt so much, but now he was gone again. He lost All Might again.

Leaning against the alley walls he had lost his beloved teacher in, Izuku cried. He screamed and yelled, cursing the world for hurting him. For letting him get his hopes up. For letting him see All Might again and ripping him away.

He yelled it out to the world. He must have sounded crazy to anyone who heard, but he didn't care. He just wanted to see All Might again.


	4. Chapter 4

He met Whirlwind on the first Friday of being sent back in time. He apparently already knew her, from the pictures All Might had given to him and his mother all those years ago. She was his processor. She gave him One For All and Izuku had no idea how to feel about her.

A villain with a Tar Manipulation quirk had shown up, destroying the roads and turning a few cars over. He laughed and made an attempt at creating a dome around the local bank with the tar off the road. He had been cut short when Izuku kicked him square in the jaw, knocking him out completely. Of course, that had posed a problem, as the road were now impossible to fix within a 24 hour period. They would either have to wait for the villain to return it back to normal by force or close the road for construction.

That was when Whirlwind came in. She landed on the ground, making a small dent into the already destroyed earth, and began punching the walls of tar into smaller pieces. At first, Izuku wasn't sure why on earth she would try punching the road apart, until he noticed that her hands never met the hardened tar. They hovered just next to it, a gust of wind doing the real job for her.

Being the good hero he was, Izuku helped her. As he got closer, he a little bell started to ring behind his conscious mind. She kind of looked like his mother. Her face wasn't nearly as round or soft, but her hair was dark and pulled back into a half bun. Her expression was full of confidence and she smiled almost as much as All Might did. The thought sent an old image to his mind.

Nana. Izuku gasped and stopped his work. He turned to her, which made her stop as well. He could see it completely now. The single picture he had ever seen of this woman shone bright in his mind. This was All Might's master. The woman who taught him and made him a hero. The best hero there would ever be.

"Are you okay there?" Her smile faltered slightly, but an untrained eye wouldn't have noticed. Izuku couldn't focus on anything but her. She was in front of him. Alive, just like All Might was. He got the chance to meet the seventh holder of One For All.

"Nana Shimura!" It didn't occur to Izuku that shouting another hero's given name in public was a bad idea. "You're Nana Shimura, right?" Of course she was. How could she not be?

After a short pause, she smiled again. "Come with me for a second, alright kid?" She gestured toward one of the alleys and he nodded. As another holder of One For All, she likely understood the need to keep these things secret.

He walked with her toward one of the back alleys, watching a few other heroes join the scene before he left. They walked a little ways down, just turning the corner before she slammed him against the nearest wall. Her smile was completely gone, replaced by a dangerous snarl.

"How do you know by name?" She hissed out.

Izuku tried to think of a lie, but couldn't. There really was no reason for him to know her full name. "I'm from the future." he blurted, hoping she wouldn't smash his face before he could explain.

She drew her fist back, but didn't release it. "Impossible. No one has been registered with a time travel quirk."

"Maybe not in this time, but there was one in mine!" He shouted, holding his arms up in a desperate attempt of defense. "I was trying to help someone but they threw me back in time! I've been stuck here for a week!"

Nana hesitated at that. She let her arm down but the glare didn't let up. "Prove it to me. Tell me something no one else could possibly know."

This was his only chance. If he screwed this up, he would be stuck on her bad side for the rest of time. Should he say something about her death? No, that would be too intense. Maybe something about All Might's success? No, she might not even know him yet. He wasn't sure which exact year they began training together. All Might didn't live long enough to mention it.

With that sad thought, Izuku decide what to say. "I'm the ninth holder of One For All."

Her shock was more apparent this time. "The ninth? That means...how far in the future do you live?" Her glare had finally disappeared, replaced by her bewildered face. She freed his uniform and he let out a long sigh.

"About 40 years. I'm not sure exactly." He shrugged, taking a small step away from the brick wall. His hair hurt from rubbing against the rough surface.

"40 years...That's a really long time. Have you had One For All For a while? When did my successor give it to you?"

"He gave it to me a bit later than you had for him."

"What do you want then? Why did you come here?"

"I didn't. Like I said before, I was sent here. I just want to find my way back…but there's someone here I want to see, before I leave." He began to fidget. It was hard to talk to someone he'd never really get about something so sensitive, but she was the easiest way to get to All Might.

"Someone special, you say? Hm...well, if you're really telling the truth...then I guess there's no point in staying upset with you. I can let you follow Gran Torino and me around. I'll talk him into letting you, so don't worry about him. You might want to set yourself up with somewhere to live too."

Her smile made Izuku feel warm and happy. He could tell where All Might got his light from. "Thank you so much! How will I keep in contact with you two? My phone stopped working since I got here, calling wise anyway."

She smiled easily and pulled out a round walkie talkie. "This had both my contacts and my location. Only Gran Torino has one. Don't lose it." Although stern, her tone was friendly, or maybe he was just used to the way Gran Torino threatened him.

"Yes ma'am!" He stood up proudly, giving her his best smile. "Will you just call me or-"

Her walkie Talkie beeped and she ignored him, answering her call. "What is it, Gran Torino?"

"Fight on 3rd street. A strength quirk taking a few people hostage. I can't get in yet." Gran Torino's voice was muffled and buzzed sharply, making Izuku's ears hurt.

"I'm on my way." She turned off her device and turned to Izuku. "Well, it looks like we'll be hanging out for a while longer." She didn't wait for him to respond before soaring off, into the air and toward the attack.

Izuku put on his best smile and leaped after her, going higher than she had and smiling at her from above. All Might was right. This quirk really did get stronger.

**…**

"What?!" Gran Torino shouted, the three of them now standing in a clearing by the park, and an area people still avoided in modern Tokyo. "Are you crazy?!"

"He knows more about One For All than even I do. It makes sense for him to help us." Nana defended him.

Izuku wasn't listening to their argument. He was too busy trying to keep from dying of shock. Nana had just suggested he help them train All Might. _Him_ training _All Might_! He didn't have the mental ability to mutter aloud, but questions and doubts flashed through his mind at hyper speed.

"Wait!" He was finally able to speak. "Isn't it dangerous for me to train him?! What if it affects his later development?! If I create an alternate dimension, then how an I supposed to get back to my own time?! Is that even how time travel work?! There's so much we don't know about this entire situation. What if I end up altering the world in a massively destructive way just by being here? Bringing the diseases I might carry and future technology could destroy everything. But what if I had already made a new dimension? How would that-" He continued to mutter to himself.

Nana's laugh pulled him out of his mind. She was smiling big, hands on her hips. "You really are a worrier, just like Toshi. It'll be fine. Just take it one step at a time." She gave him a playful punch, which ended up actually hurting, but he couldn't be mad. "Besides, if you were taught by the kid, then you probably know him way better than me."

"Oh! I don't know about that! I mean, you've probably known him for a while-"

"Not really. I just met him a year ago." Nana interrupted before stretching her limbs and groaning with the strain. "Izuku was it? Met up right here tomorrow for training. We'll let you tell him as much of the truth as you want. Don't be late." She gave him another wink before shooting off with Gran Torino following. He sent a glare Izuku's way, but it was easily shrugged it off.

Heading toward the homeless shelter, Izuku thought through the events of the day. He had not only met All Might-Yagi's master, but he had formed a deal with her. He got to see Yagi tomorrow. Imagining it made tears threaten to spill. He hadn't seen Yagi in years -the moment yesterday didn't count. He hadn't even seen him during the funeral. It was still too painful to think about for so long, but he didn't have to feel that weight. He didn't have to worry about his teacher's health.

Instead, a darker question pushed to the surface of his mind. What if he became the cause of Yagi's death?


	5. Chapter 5

When Izuku came to the park for early morning training, he almost lost his balance at the sight of Yagi. He was young, younger than he had seemed just a few days before. He smiled and held a determination that continued to follow him through his life. His eyes were not black, like Izuku had thought. They were white, clear, soft. His height was severely cut from his 7'2 adult height. It was alright thought. At least he was here.

When he saw Izuku, his smile disappeared into fear. No, it wasn't just fear. Maybe a bit of anger? He wasn't sure but it made his heart ache. Yagi had never looked at him like that.

"You're the hero that chased me." He accused, his voice a bit higher but still low for a kid his age. His eyebrows here more full, but not nearly as thick as they were when he was All Might.

"Yeah, I am." Izuku was surprised he didn't choke. "I'm sorry."

Nana bent down to whisper something in his ear and the anger and fear was gone. He didn't look trusting, but it was a start. She stood up straight and smiled. "He's going to help us train for a while, alright?"

Yagi nodded and seemed to remember something. "Oh! I almost forgot! I brought those comics you wanted to see!" He dug into his school bag and pulled out a thick stack of comics. "These aren;t all of them, but they're my favorites. Most of them have the classic heroes but there's Mudman and Sunnygirl too." He rambled on as he showed Nana his collection.

Izuku couldn't hold back the tears as he looked at those comics. They were new, yet still well used. The print was sharper and the mages less ripped. They were the exact same comics All Might had given him after his death. He hadn't been able to look through them for years, the ache in his chest always getting too strong to handle when he did.

When Yagi gave him a strange look, Izuku reached out for one of the most used comics in the pile. Surprisingly, the boy didn't stop him, letting the older man card through it, trying to not get tears on it. "It's b-been so long…" This was the only comic All Might had actually read with him. He mentioned it being his favorite, the main hero's origin story relating to his own.

"Why are you crying?" Yagi spoke clearly, steadying Izuku's mind. "Are you really that much of a fan boy?" His comment was almost teasing, but it held a gentle hesitance.

Instead of answering, Izuku turned his attention to the boy just a foot away from him. He gave the blond his comic back but couldn't stop himself from touching his long bangs. They were soft and short. His hair was fluffy and soft, like his own green hair had been when he was younger. Now, it was grease and a bit knotted. He ignored the confused look Yagi gave and pulled the boy in for a hug.

Yagi was stiff as a board, but Izuku continued to cry. He was just as warm and soft as he was in the modern day. It was a while before he stopped, letting the poor boy go and wiping away his tears. Man, he really had to start pulling himself together.

He heard Gran Torino mutter something about being a crybaby, but Izuku didn't mind. He'd been called worse things. Standing up on still weak legs, Izuku ruffled Yagi's curls and gave him a smile. He gave a weak and broken "Plus Ultra" Before stepping back and letting Nana and Gran Torino take the lead.

Nana was unsurprisingly good at teaching. She seemed more comfortable with it than All Might had when he started, or maybe he was just a better student. All Might had mentioned naturally understanding One For All some time during his high school years. When she pushed, he corrected and fixed his posture immediately. When she gave him a tip or a piece of advice, he took it to heart. Sometimes, the number of things she told him to remember seemed overwhelming and Izuku was afraid he might forget or get stressed but he didn't.

Gran Torino didn't do as much talking as Nana, but he proved to be a good opponent to go against. At this time, it was clear Yagi hadn't gotten One For All yet, his body surprisingly thin and small compared to the muscle Izuku expected.

As Izuku muttered to himself about each tiny detail about Yagi, he waited patiently for his help to be needed. It was late into the evening when he Nana finally called him over. She had Yagi focused on running laps, trying to maintain his stamina and gaining muscle. She pulled him close, whispering to him as she watched the boy.

"What do you think? You seemed more of an analyzer than a teacher, but I need some pointers." A part of Izuku was surprised that she had noticed.

"Well, he's doing well with the assignments and pointers you give, but he seems too...dependant? He trusts you -which isn't a bad think, mind you- and can use practice without interruption. If he can just wrestle around with someone for a while, I think that will make your past advice even more prominent. See what he remembers long term and what he's more likely to forget. However...Is it okay for him to always be fighting against Gran Torino? I know he can go a bit too hard and if Yagi gets too used to the jet quirk, he might get stressed when fighting against any other quirk."

When Nana didn't answer, Izuku turned to her, ready to either justify his point or play it off as silly interpretation, but her smile stopped him from speaking. She gave him a hard knock on the head but laughed in a playful way. "You're a good one." She gave a contented sigh and looked out at the park. "He picked well. It's crazy to even think about what kind of hero he'll turn out to be, let alone the kind of mentor he is to you. He's just so...little. So innocent and precious."

"Well, I don't want to spoil the future, assuming I still know what will happen in his future, but...there's no reason to worry for him." He would become the best hero Japan -the world- had ever and will ever see, no matter what he said to Izuku.

"You know...that person you said you needed to see from this timeline. That...it's Toshi, isn't it?" It was more of a statement than a question, her hard look making Izuku nervous.

"I-" Izuku stopped before he could deny it. What was the point in denying it from her? "Yes. You see...in my time he...doesn't make it very long after I got my official hero license. He was the most amazing person in my life, my inspiration, my family. He never got the chance to try falling in love or finding a new career to take. He didn't get the chance-" Izuku choked back tears, having had quite enough crying for now. "Nana, whatever you do, please be honest with him."

Nana seemed surprised at the sentiment. She looked away but rubbed at his back. "Be honest, huh?" she spoke at last. "I don't know when I wouldn't be, but I'll take it to heart." She gave him a thumbs up and a bright smile.

As the sun went down, their training concluded. Nana reminded Yagi that they'd train against tomorrow and he ran home. Izuku smiled at it, the thought that this was All Might, young and pure, going home after a hard day of training. He offhandedly wondered when the growth spurt would hit.

"You have somewhere to go, right?" Nana asked, keeping the grumpy Grant Torino in his place for longer.

At that Izuku hesitated. He technically did, although he homeless shelter wasn't really what she meant. "I have a bed to sleep in." He stated, nice and safe.

Apparently it wasn't. "Hm, well, here." She pulled out a card from her pocket and gave it to him. It looked like a business card: two phone numbers, address and an email. He turned it over and saw an unfamiliar logo on the back. "My friend owns the apartment complex down the street. Tell her Nana sent you and she should give you a discount at least."

"Are we going to leave any time soon?" Gran Torino complained, crossing his arms impatiently.

Nana huffed at him but it didn't last long. "Yeah, yeah." She turned attention back to Izuku. "Get some good rest, alright? I don't want to see any bags under your eyes." She soluted before leaping away.

Izuku stood in that spot for a while longer, contemplating. With a smile, he began walking to the address. Nana had a similar style as All Might. They were both so bright and cheerful, keeping a smile on their faces through the good and bad. Of course, this era's heroes had a thing for yellow gloves and long capes. Heroes around here typically dressed in less flashy outfits, less tight against the body. Of course, that era had ended with All Might.

A strange thought sprang into his mind. How long was it before his teachers were born? How long before his own mother was born? Was she? Maybe just barely. It was strange, seeing the way the world looked before so many people he knew and loved were born. He wouldn't be seeing Aizawa around for another ten or so years. He wouldn't see his old classmates or fellow heroes until well after twenty. It was a bit overwhelming to think about.

Once he had arrived, Izuku walked up to the front desk confidently. He had been working on faking confidence before he made the time jump. It seemed to pay off, because the warm woman smiled at him. "Hey there. What can I do for you?"

"Nana Shimura sent me." He stated clearly, similar to the way he said 'I am here'. The woman seemed to completely understand him and gave him a key. He thanked her profoundly before venturing up to his small apartment. Small it was.

The bathroom was crammed right next to the single bedroom. It looked more like a hotel room than anything, but all he really needed was a shower, toilet and bed. He hummed and threw off his gear for the first time in a while -he wouldn't be surprised if there were permanent marks on his wrists and arms. He stripped lazily as he walked into the bathroom. He was completely bare by the time he got in the shower.

Izuku jump when the cold water hit his thigh, but it warmed quickly. He wiped away the week's dirt and grim, feeling clean for once. A happy song ran through his mind, a song Ochaku had taught him back in their highschool years. He sang along, enjoying the warm feeling it gave and the buzz of his throat.

He was able to forget about Nana and Yagi as he went to bed, falling asleep without shedding a single tear. He hoped he could fall asleep like this every night, but that hope was very, very unlikely.


	6. Chapter 6

Yagi was late to training and Nana's worried expression said this wasn't a normal thing. She couldn't keep her eyes off of the clearing, looking for any sign of their blond student.

Her fidgeting made Izuku anxious as well. All Might had been late to classes when he was a teacher, even forced to find a substitute altogether, but that was due to his limit. Now, Yagi had no reason to worry about a limit or any hero work to keep up with. School had come out a full hour ago as well. This could only be the making of disaster.

Both worried heroes released a long sigh of relief once they saw Yagi walk toward them. Izuku went to hug him, but stopped himself. Yagi didn't really know him. He didn't have the right to just touch him like that.

Nana didn't hug him either. She gave him a playful smack on the back of the head and laughed -was every hero from this time prone to hitting people? "What were off to, Toshi? You're usually not late to training."

Yagi seemed uncharacteristically quei. Nana must have noticed as well, because she replaced her beaming smile with a curious look. He was pulling on his long banges, trying to hide his face from their view. She used her gloved hand to turn his face up and gasped at the dark bruise along his eye and chin.

Izuku had only seen All Might bruised twice, that being at Kamino Ward and in an earlier photo of him in America, facing off against a blood control villain. Seeing Yagi like this; sad, ashamed, embarrassed, made Izuku want to yell and scream. How dare someone hurt him. Did they not know who he was? Who he was going to be?

"Toshi, what happened?" Nana's voice became harsh and Izuku hated the way he flinched. She corrected herself. "I want to help you."

He shook her hands away but didn't turn away. "he didn't mean to! They were calling Kenni useless just because his quirk is less stable!" He didn't cry which was surprising. Izuku would've been balling by that point. "I just wanted to stand up for him but they called me stupid and quirkless." His tone became less desperate by the end, turning back to shame.

"Then how did you get all bruised up?" It was obvious Nana wanted to hold him again, but she didn't.

"Kenni started phasing and...I was in the way." Yagi's voice was slightly louder than a whisper.

"Who's Kenni?" Izuku blirted, relieved the situation hadn't been what he thought it was.

Nana sighed and responded for Yagi. "Kenni is one of Toshi's classmates. He had a quirk called Zap Out. It's...like a shifting quirk but not completely. It would be stated at "villainous" by the government." Izuku didn't miss the angry look Yagi to the worms digging across the grass at the word. Nana stood up again and started walking toward the track.

"Why does the government get to tell people their quirk is bad?" Yagi continued. "If they just got them better help then this stuff wouldn't happen! How is he supposed to feel safe when even his country won't protect him?!" As he spoke, his voice grew in volume. "This is why a Symbol of Peace is necessary! If there's someone they can trust, someone who isn't manipulated by the government, then they can feel safe!"

He was cut short by Gran Torino. "We know, kid. Stop yelling and start warming up."

It was almost sad how quickly Yagi shoved his ideas, his dreams away to follow what Gran Torino said. They were training him to make his dreams happen, of course, but Izuku wanted to see more of that light. He wanted to hear those brilliant ideas that would make everything All Might stood for. It's not like he hadn't heard them before, but in his time, All Might was a little less bold about them. Everyone in Japan knew what All Might stood for, what he did. Being able to hear Yagi talk freely about his ideas and dreams gave Izuku the opportunity to see what started his dreams of being a Symbol of Peace. What about this work made him wake up one morning, thinking "this world needs me to be a pillar of hope".

Sadly, Yagi started stretching about jogging around the large pond. The bruises still made a protective hum buzz at the bottom Izuku's mind. Even if this hadn't been the result of direct bullying, he still got hurt for trying to protect someone. Izuku had experienced that before, back in grade school. Kacchan made other kids cry often, and the few timed Izuku stood up for them, he ended up with burns and bruises.

Izuku thought about what Yagi had said, relating it to the time. When he was in grade school, they had quirk training classes, which he missed out on. Kids with quirks of all types were taught how to use them and control them. Some students who had mutation quirks were simply taught that it was okay to look different. The kids with more powerful and unstable quirks, like Kacchan, were sent to the school gym to practice specific methods, or at least they were supposed to. The school seemed to ignore that certain groups of kids would illegally use their quirks to hurt others.

This kid, the one Yagi defended, had a very unstable quirk. If what he said was true, that the government hadn't started giving public schools quirk classes, then this kid could end up in jail before he graduated from highschool. How would the future he if they didn't have those classes? Would the friends he had been arrested because they couldn't control their quirk? Izuku thought of Tokoyami. If he hadn't been taught to control Dark Shadow, then he would never have become the hero he is now. Or, would be.

"You look like you're thinking up a storm over here." Nana nudged his shoulder, letting Gran Torino take over the warm ups.

Izuku jumped at the interruption, but settled quickly. "I was just...thinking about that boy Yagi was talking about. Kenni? He isn't getting the help he needs to control his quirk. How does the government, the school system even, not understanding that all he needs it a little training?"

Nana sat down, seeming to consider his concerns. "I don't know what life is like in your time, but here, the government is barely getting laws passed. Heroes have only been legal for a couple of years now. That may seem like a lot, but the first quirk really messed everything up for society. Schools aren't focused on equality of quirks or those without them. They only care that the law is kept."

It made sense, but it frustrated Izuku all the same. All of the answers seemed so obvious, but he would he a hypocrite for calling these schools out on their neglect. Quirks may have become more normalized in the future, but that inequality was still severely unbalanced. "What quirk did you have before getting One For All?" He was getting a headache from thinking about society.

Nana hummed, understanding the conversation chance. "Well, I thought it was kind of obvious, given my hero name is Whirlwind." She gave him a wink and he mentally punched himself. It was plainly obvious.

"So, you control the wind? Or is it air pressure? It would make sense, given I can just punch the air and destroy cities…" Izuku muttered to himself.

"What?" That bit of information seemed to shock her. "Cities? My punches barely destroy single buildings." Izuku laughed awkwardly at that. He had forgotten how powerful One For All could get. Thankfully she laughed it off and returned his question. "What quirk did you have before getting One For All?"

"Oh, I was quirkless." He stated casually. I felt nice to let his secret out.

"I'm guessing Toshi was a bit bias in that regard, hm?" She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Izuku laughed again, this time without the awkward bursts. "I'm not sure about that." He wanted to explain how they had met, accidentally finding out about All Might's weaker form and later trying to defeat a sludge villain with his backpack, but he kept it to himself.

"If you say so." Nana stated before standing up, dusting herself off, and calling the two other occupants of the park over. She smiled at Yagi's excited look, having forgotten the trauma of earlier. "I have something new for you today, kiddo."

"What is it?" His head tilted cutely in confusion. He followed her gesture toward Izuku, waiting expectantly.

"You're gonna be wrestling around with this guy." She laughed at both of their surprised shouts. Both shouts seemed to be for the same reason -a big, tough pro hero against a quirkless middle schooler. "You'll both be fighting quirkless, but you can be as dirty as you want. I want to see sand flying, hair pulling and all that." She said it as if it were an invitation for coffee -Izuku could really use one of those.

"Are you sure?! He's half my size and hasn't been fighting against others as long as I have. There's no way he'll be able to-"

Izuku was interrupted by a small body pushing him toward the ground. Yagi really didn't hold back, taking any advantage he got. He was faster than Izuku, able to get between his legs and trip him. Of course the battle didn't last very long. He was stronger after all, and after getting tripped the second time, he was able to throw a handful of water into the younger boy's face and pin him down. Yagi never stopped struggling against him until the match was called.

"Alright. Let's start again. Fix your mistakes from last time." Nana called, blowing a whistler that signalled their start.

This time, Izuku tried analysing Yagi's moves. He had little experience, lacking the reflex and technique he needed, but that was only something he would gain over time. He did recognize the way Yagi moved, trying to somehow overpower him and avoid him at once. It made a bright smile curled onto Izuku's lips.

Slowly, Yagi started getting closer to winning. He assessed what he needed to improve and did just that. He noticed that Izuku didn't like using his arms as much and tripped his feet to keep his limbs tangled. Of course, he was a perfect sport every time he lost. He would just get back up and start again.

They wrestled and fought until the sun went down, exhaustion coming in quickly. They were both on the grass by the time their last battle ended. Izuku laughed, despite his aching lungs and limbs. It was fun, fighting against someone who weren't trying to kill you or other people.

When Izuku looked to his side, expecting to meet yagi's gaze, he found the blond asleep. Quietly, he stood up, trying to access the situation. Show he carry him home? He didn't know where he lived but surely Nana or Gran Torino did. Maybe he could wake him up? No, he needed his sleep.

Nana joined him, chuckling softly before scooping him up into her arms. He didn't stir one bit as she carried him. "Isn't he cute?" She sighed, cradlinging him similar to a baby, rocking him slightly. "I'll take him home. You should get some rest too. You look exhausted."

Izuku nodded and ebgan walking back toward the apartment complex but hesitated. He turned back toward the older heroes. "Thank you, Nana. For letting me get to know him again."

Nana turned back toward him, flashing a smug smile. "If you think that was getting to know him, then buckle up." She shouted before turning back and heading out. Izuku smiled to himself and started down the road again.

He fell asleep the second he made it to his small bed.


	7. Chapter 7

When Izuku dreamt about the past holders of One For All that night. As he stood there, unable to speak or move, he noticed the absence of Nana. He hadn't had the dream since before All Might's death, but Nana had always been there.

"You've chanced to a time when Nana Shimura is alive." Sukoshi Satsujin, All For One's younger brother, spoke clearly. "The same goes for Toshinori yagi. He is no longer here with us because he's there with you."

Izuku wished he could speak, ask them why he hadn't come here before now. Why he hadn't seen All Might here yet.

"You're still worthy. The holder with the highest purpose. Although you weren't the one to defeat my brother, you have the responsibility to choose what happens next, but that does seem a bit hard to do when you're not in your own timeline." He tapped at his chin.

Izuku looked toward the other holders, noting their proud faces. He hadn't done anything though. How could they say he had more purpose that All Might, even Nana, if all he had done was become yet another hero?

"We don't have time to chitchat, unfortunately, but I advise you to trust the past holders more than you trust yourself."

The world began to fade, the faces of earlier heroes blurring into darkness. He wanted to stay, to ask what they meant or if they could get him home. His consciousness returned before he had the chance.

…

Izuku woke up with a start. His body was still sleepy and slow, but his mind was racing with questions. He decided to stand up but sat again when he got light headed. The white spots continued to dance around his visit for a while, until they completely disappeared. He needed a walk. Or maybe a light jog? Whatever it was, he just wanted to move.

Standing up again, Izuku grabbed his shoes and key before leaving. The sky was grey and the air gave him chills. Leaves of all kinds of colors blew through the air and away from the barren trees. Nodding to a few other civilians, he began jogging down the sidewalk, trying to forget about his dream.

It felt nice to be active, getting his heart pumping and muscles warm. The buzz of One For All made all the difference, making him feel limitless, unstoppable. It was easy enough to work up a light sweat, having ran for a few hours. He wished he had his headphones for music, but he would have to do without. Besides, his headphones were likely too ahead of these days for casual use.

As he ran, he spotted a few school kids heading off for their day of classes. There were a few that looked like grade schoolers, a few in middle school and other high schoolers. Some high schoolers walked their siblings as well. It was a peaceful scene, watching this generation -the generation of old men back in his own time- walking in peace.

He saw a familiar head of fuzzy blonde hair poking just outside of an alleyway. Curiosity took over as Izuku approached him. He slowed when he saw a blanket in Yagi's hands. He was wrapping it around someone, or something. Peeking into the alley, Izuku saw a box of cats in front of Yagi, shivering from the cold breathe. He was covering the box with a light blanket, but left a small peep hole for them.

"Already a hero, I see." Izuku laughed -it sounded scarily like All Might. Yagi jolted back, his eyes wide as if he had been caught stealing. It made Izuku laugh again. "That's really nice of you, taking care of those cats like that." This time, he sounded like himself.

Yagi turned back to the ox and nodded slowly. "They're young and need a home, but my dad would never let me take them in. He's allergic and would throw them out again." he hesitated before continuing. "So, I did what I could. It might not be much but at least they'll be warm and dry. I kinda looks like it's going to rain too…" He drifted off, staring at the sky.

"A little help might be all they need. Of course there is always more that can be done, but this is fine. I mean, I could adopt every orphaned animals in this city, but they don't need that." Izuku hopped his rambling made some sort of sense.

It seemed to, because Yagi nodded with a smile. He stood up, gripped the string of his bag and offered a hand. The gesture caught Izuku off guard, but he offered his own hand all the same. To his further surprise, Yagi didn't shake it. Instead, he held it out, palm up, and examined it.

"You have a lot of scars on your hands." He stated, not quite excited -like Izuku would be to look so closely at a hero's hand- but he wasn't bored either. "Given your quirk, it would make sense. Those black beames looked crazy powerful and were probably hard to control."

Izuku smiled brightly. The way Yagi talked felt familiar to him. "Yeah, it was a real adventure, but those scars aren't from the beams. They came from breaking my arms and fingers so much."

Yagi winced and traced his finger along each scar. "Breaking them, huh?" He looked up and let go of Izuku's hand. "What's your quirk anyway?" The way the boy's head tilted seemed so innocent.

Izuku, on the other hand, sputtered at the question. Sure, he'd been asked that question a lot by fans and journalists, but this was someone he was able to actually answer truthfully. Someone he wanted to share his secret with, even if the secret was his first. "Well, you see…" Izuku looked around the sides of the alley, making sure on one else was around. Once he determined the coast was clear, he leaned into the younger boy's face and whispered his answer. "I hold One For All."

That answer sent the other tumbling back, tripping on the box of poor kittens and onto his butt. If Izuku had thought Yagi's eyes were wide before, they were huge now. "What?! That's not…" He was so obviously struggling to understand this, and so would Izuku. If someone had told him the same thing when he was training on that beach, he would scream, or faint.

"Hey! Hey, calm down!" Izuku waved his hands. "It's because I'm from the future. I got sent here by someone with a time quirk and I'm...stuck. Nana is helping me get back."

Yagi's face turned through multiple emotions in a few seconds. Shock, confusion, disbelief, shock again, amazement, then finally, acceptance. "Like in my comics…" he whispered.

"Your comics?" Izuku tried to remember a comic book All Might had given him about time travel.

"Yeah!" Yagi stood up slowly, not caring to dust off his black uniform before explaining excitedly. "In the third book of Coolerman Adventures, there's this villain named Sonaht that has the power to destroy basically anything! When he kills Coolerman's friends, he harnesses the power to turn back in time! Then he goes on to kill Sonaht and get his father back! It's one of my favorites, but it's kinda old. down the street got it when it was first published and decided to give it to me as a birthday gift! Isn't that nice!" Yagi's smile knocked Izuku's breath away. It was like looking at All Might again.

His heart burst with a warmth he hadn't felt in years. Yagi started walking down the street again, continuing to talk about this or that comic. Was this how All Might felt when he talked about heroes? If so, then he would let Yagi talk forever.

One single phrase chased away Izuku's happy mood. "But I usually have to clean up the beer bottles after school so…" Was Yagi's dad a drunk? Sure, adults drank, but if it was so much that his _son_ had to clean the mess…

"Does your dad drink often?" Izuku asked, keeping a casual tone despite his sick feeling. Yagi nodded just as casually. "Yeah, he's practically lives on the couch! He buys a lot of beer, especially on days he doesn't have to work. He works at the department store a few blocks away. Did you know that…" And he started off again.

"What about your mother? What does she do?" He tried to get away from the drinking questions, although he had so many. Surely Yagi's mother wouldn't just let her husband get so bad. After realizing silence had passed over them, Izuku looked down at the blond boy. He was pulling at his bangs in an anxious way. Oh no, had he messed up?

"She left after I got back from the doctor…" He muttered, talking in the same tone All Might used when speaking about his injury. His pre-pubescent voice almost sounded lower, more mature.

Izuku knew exactly what he meant. "You mean...After you were diagnosed?" He had felt that same shame after the doctor said he was legally quirkless. His mother had cried, but not half as much as he himself did.

Yagi nodded and continued to walk in silence. Deciding now was the time to change the subject, Izuku put on a fake smile. "What about being a hero? Have you always wanted to be one?" He assumed the answer was yes. What kid that lived off of comic books and existed in a world of powers didn't want to be a hero?

"Actually, no. I never really thought about it when I was little. Heroes aren't always the most trustworthy people, even now. Some heroes are good, like Nana and Gran Torino. And you. Those heroes are like the heroes in my comics, but there are other heroes too. The ones that kill other people and claim it's justice. The worst kind are the ones that hurt other people. One hero, Electric Spike, kidnapped a group of kids and pretended to save them for fame. He was sent to jail after the kids told the police."

Izuku had never thought about it. All the text books said was that this era was new to heros and the ideals of what a hero was suppose to be wasn't shared amount everyone. Never once did it mention them killing others and kidnapping kids. Yagi was right. All Might was right. This world really did need a symbol to depend on. In his time, everyone tried to be like All Might or something close. The heroes like Endeavor were rare but even Endeavor wouldn't kidnap kids for fame. He did abuse his own child though…

"You mutter a lot." Yagi stated. Izuku was about to apologize, but he was stopped. They weren't walking anymore. "It's alright." The boy smiled. "I have to get to school, so I'll see you at training, but...thanks for listening. Most people don't care what a quirkless kid as to say." Waving, the boy ran into the gated of his school, leaving Izuku alone.

Oh did Izuku know that. Despite the tragedy that conversation had gotten into, he felt good about it. He had gotten to know what All Might was like at a younger, more innocent age. Who wouldn't leap at the chance to give this wonderful boy the power to help the world, especially if you already knew what he was capable of.

With a bounce in his step, Izuku ran to the nearest villain attack, a new motivation set in his heart. He would fight for Yagi, to give him the ability to become All might again.


	8. Chapter 8

Nana didn't know about Yagi's home life either. She was surprised to hear about what little Izuku knew and it took a little while to keep Gran Torino from beating anyone into the ground.

"You're sure he said that?" Despite her words, Nana was beyond concerned.

"I'm positive. I don't know if he's making light of it or not, but those are the facts." Izuku fidgeted. Gran Torino gave a soft grumble. "All Mi-Yagi never told me anything about his childhood in my time other than what he did with you two. I hadn't thought to ask either."

"Well, he does live in the darker part of town. It shouldn't be a surprise but he just hasn't said anything about it." Nana looked up from her device. "You said he was just talking about his comics?" She put a hand on her hip when Izuku nodded. "Well, he obviously trusts you, even if that might have slipped out on accident. I haven't seen bruises or anything that would indicate he'd been abused. He doesn't flinch when we shout or wrestle."

"Do you want us to as him about it? That could be the best approach to this." Izuku suggested. "He said people usually don't listen to him because he doesn't have a quirk. Maybe all Yagi needs is someone willing to listen."

"What do you mean?"

All three adults spun around and stared at the blonde boy that stood behind him. How had he approached without any of them noticing?! Shaking the thought away, Izuku offered a smile that was not met. Yagi looked between each of the adults, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Nana took the lead on the conversation, throwing up a smile far more convincing than Izuku's and knelt down. "Toshi, we're just worried about you. Izuku said there might be something wrong, that you mentioned something that concerned him about your health." Her tone was calming and gentle, but it didn't work for Yagi.

He took a step back and turned from confused to defensive, if a little hurt. "Do you think something's wrong with me?" Izuku recognized the look in his eyes. That's the same way Izuku looked at his mother after she gave up on him, back when he was only four. It was the look of betrayal and the green haired hero wanted nothing more than to reassure him that he was wrong. Misunderstanding the situation.

"No, Toshi. We don't think anything like that. We just think that maybe something is going on at home. Izuku said your dad drinks a lot." She explained easily, touching his shoulder lightly.

Thankfully, Yagi went back to confusion. "Don't adults drink beer and stuff? Gran Torino had some in his fridge when he got sick, right? It's okay, right?"

Gran Torino made a startled noise, likely not expecting to be called out. "Kid, drinking now and then is alright, but drinking until you can't move or speak isn't good." It came out harsher than he probably wanted. Izuku knew the hero had a tendency to do that.

"How often is your dad drunk, Toshi?" Nana asked gently. "When can you have a full conversation with him?"

Yagi pulled at his bangs and looked at the ground. He dug the tip of his shoe into the ground, uprooting a few clumps of grass. Izuku wasn't sure if he was thinking or plainly uncomfortable. He understood if Yagi wanted to protect his father. Izuku had done the same for Kacchan for years. "Well...he's fine when he goes to work. Maybe he'll have a headache but nothing more. He'll be okay, but...when he comes home he...he starts to drink and…"

"Can we talk to him?" Izuku asked. He was tired of this. If Yagi wanted to protect his dad then they would just have to go to the source. If this was a serious situation and Yagi needed help, then they could give it but if this was just a case of his father needing a little more self control than is was a waste of time.

Yagi shook his head immediately. "He isn't hurting anyone, so what's the problem? He's just sad!" the boy's determination was a good trait, but not when used like this.

"But this isn't healthy. If he just drinks all day and night then he's hurting himself." Izuku argued, his eyes stinging with frustration.

"You don't know anything about him! You're not even from here!"

Nana pulled Izuku back before the situation could get worse. She gave him a stern look before returning to Yagi, promising that they wouldn't talk to his father and would leave this conversation behind them.

Before Izuku could argue, he was pulled by the color to face the frowning face of Gran Torino. "What do you think you're doing?! You're a hero, not some little kid! Stop letting your emotions control you!"

As harsh as those words were, Izuku's anger started to die down. He was right. Izuk shouldn't have gotten involved. He wasn't sure why he had let himself get so upset anyway. He was a hero, he couldn't go around picking fights about this kind of thing. Yagi needed his trust if he was going to become what he was meant to be.

"Why do you even care?" The boy's voice pulled Izuku's attention. Turning toward Nana and Yagi, he listened closely to what they said.

"Because we care, Toshi. We want you to be safe. How am I supposed to give you my quirk if you're hurt?" She tried at a joke but it fell short.

After a moment of shock, Yagi started pulling at his bangs again. "Do you mean it?" He whispered, almost too soft to hear.

"Of course! And so does Izuku, he just trying to figure out how to show it to you. We all care about you." Nana gave him a playful smile that Izuku could barely see. "You wanna know what that means for you?"

Yagi nodded shyly.

"That means you're stuck with us." She gave a wink and stood up again. "We'll be like a big happy family!" She spoke so proudly, like Yagi was the only thing that really mattered.

"Really?" A smile came onto the boy's face, erasing the anger from before.

"Definitely." Nana gave him a big hug before leading him into the park. "Let's not waste any more time, now. We still have training to do after all."

…

The rest of training went by without incident. Yagi worked hard and well, building the right muscle groups in the right way. Taking Izuku's advice to heart, Nana let him figure some things out by himself, which would help him greatly in the future. Just as the sun was going down and training was almost through, Izuku decided to take Gran Torino's place in the wrestling match. The poor kid still had the jet hero's shoe prints in his black tank top.

Izuku wasn't sure how he would respond, if the emotions from earlier were still at play and would keep him from going full out. Despite what he might have thought, Yagi didn't hold back. He was getting stronger, slowly but surely. He was able to throw his weight to knock Izuku over and make an attempt to pin him down, but he didn't have the strength the hero held.

"Man." Yagi rubbed at his neck after Izuku had let go of the tight hold. "You're so good at this."

"It comes with experience and a good teacher." The green haired man smiled, but it faltered. "Hey, I'm sorry for earlier. I didn't mean to get so mad. It's just...I care about you, like Nana said. I don't want you to get hurt." He didn't want All Might's death to be repeated in this time.

Yagi gave him a smile, albeit sober. "It's alright. I was overreacting too. Truce?" He held out his hand, aiming for a casual shake. Instead, Izuku pulled him into a tight hug. Once Yagi had gotten over his initial shock, he returned the embrace.

Sniffing noisily, Izuku let go and ruffled his hair, the same way All Might used to do to him. "You'll be a good hero, Yagi."

"You can just call me Toshi, if you want."

That permission made Izuku cry all over again, but he laughed through it. "T-thank you."

Yagi-Toshi laughed along with him. "You sure cry a lot."

Wiping away his tears, the hero nodded. "I get that a lot."

…

"I doubt a good, old fashioned time machine would work if that technology wasn't even available in your time." Nana muttered, trying to write down ideas for Izuku's return to his own time.

"So, our only choice is to wait for this person to be born again before you can return?" Gran Torino huffed.

"That sounds like our best guess, but even that has its risks. We don't know the ins and outs of this quirk. Using it might just send me further back in time. This person would have to be able to control their quirk but I don't even know how old that woman was. She might be born already, or I could have to wait years for her to show up! We really don't know and-"

"Shut up already." Gran Torino grumbled.

They had decided to regroup at Gran Torino's apartment, which was the same apartment he lived in at the age of 80. There was more taiyaki than all three of them could eat together. "This looks like something we have to wait out. I can always look through police documents for this woman, but other than that we have no way of knowing when she will be born." Nana supplied.

"Then I'll focus on helping you guys train Toshi." Izuku felt determination flood through him. If he was stuck here than he would spend that time with the people he loved.

"Well, if that's all, then we should get to sleep." Gran Torino stood up and started shooing them out. It was a cold night and the moon was covered by dark clouds. It would likely rain soon. It was strange. The sky was always the same, no matter what time he lived in. That was the same moon he looked at as a child, the same moon the first holder of One For All would look at and even the first humans would look at.

"Thanks, Izuku." Nana's voice pushed the thoughts from Izuku's mind.

"What for?" He hadn't done much for her, at least not compared to what she did.

"For loving Toshi as much as we do. He needs us, I can tell."

Not sure how to respond, Izuku gave a half solute. "Good night, Nana." And it was left at that. They parted ways easily and Izuku stretched his arms out in front of himself. It's been a long day, getting up early and he'd be going to bed late. He vaguely wondered if the crime would be worse at night. It was always a bad idea to venture around in the middle of the night, especially alone, but in some areas, the villains preferred daylight.

As Izuku walked into his apartment building, he started a shower. He probably smelled worse than a locker room and only wished he had an extra pair of clothes. New socks, shirts, pants, underwear. He really had to find out how to get some kind of income. He still had rent to pay and he couldn't only wear his hero costume. He was stuck here for the unseeable future. He's need to find everything he needed.

Yawning, Izuku decided to get out of the shower. Rubbing his wet hair in a towel, he pulled on his boxers but didn't have the energy to do much more. Falling into his bed, Izuku fell asleep, hoping tomorrow will bring more answers.


	9. Chapter 9

Nana was in a particularly happy mood that morning. If Izuku thought she smiled a lot before, he definitely smiled a lot today. She hit Gran Torino on the shoulder more, laughed louder and even postponed training.

"What?" Toshi tilted his head. "But don't we train every day?"

Izuku was just about to ask the same question. Training was essential to Toshi's development as a future hero. Nana waved off their worry easily. "We're still going to train, but it's going to be a bit different! We'll be spending our time at the junkyard."

"The junkyard?" Toshi's excitement showed through his curiosity. Izuku smiled, wondering what exactly this was leading up to.

In his own experience, junkyards were great for working out, but if Nana wanted that kind of work, then why hadn't they started there. She seemed to answer him and shouted. "We'll be working harder than usual today."

Before Toshi got a warning, he was scooped into Nana's arms and she jumped toward the city junkyard. Gran Torino and Izuku were able to make their own way there, jumping from building to building with ease. It was a nicer day to do with as well, making it easy for Izuku to enjoy the city around him. It may not be the same Tokyo he presided over, but it was still Tokyo.

Landing gracefully, Izuku looked around for Nana. She wasn't there yet. Gran Torino looked at nonexistent watch on his wrist. Izuku couldn't help the embarrassing scream he released as Nana landed right in front of them a second later. Toshi jumped from her embrace and looked around the junkyard with curiosity. "I don't think I've ever seen so many tires in one place!" He exclaimed, starting to climb the tire mountain.

"Get off of that." Gran Torino shouted. "If you get stuck in there, I'm gonna have to waste my time finding you."

As the obedient child he is, Toshi got off the pile and smiled. "Where should we start?"

"Today…" Nana paused for effect. "We'll work until we drop! I want you to pick up those tires and put them over there." She pointed to an empty space, next to some old mattresses.

Izuku smiled at the workout. Maybe this was where All Might got the idea for him to clean that beach. He knew Toshi was capable of this. He was already stronger than Izuku had been when he first started and All Might had made him pull a truck while sitting on it.

With a determined face, Toshi ran toward the first tire and began rolling it over, but Nana stopped him. "Pick it up, Toshi."

Although his determination wavered, he pushed the tire over and began turning it over. Once it was on his back, he started walking back toward the empty space. It looked almost easy. Toshi obviously had a lot of muscle build. The process went quickly, he'd varey the ways he picked up the tires -sometimes on his back, sometimes in his arms and sometimes around his shoulders- and ran them over to the newly made pile.

Near the bottom of the pile laid bigger tires that looked like they belonged on large trucks or tractors. On these, he flipped them over, using his leg muscles to life it from the ground, and continued until they joined the smaller ones.

Toshi's stamina began to give out by the third largest tire, his progress getting slower and his legs strained a bit more as he lifted. He still continued to fight through it though. Nana hadn't allowed him to stop so he couldn't. He hadn't reached her goal.

It got hard to watch Toshi struggle, so Izuku tried to focus on the contents of the junkyard. There were much larger things to lift than those tires, a few old trucks and some ripped apart refrigerators. Of course, there were piles of everything you could think of as well: old kettles, tea sets, chairs, shelves, books, devices, and much more.

Once Toshi finally finished the tire pile, Nana let him take a drink before she sent him to start lifting a few tables. Although they were lighter, they were awkward to carry. The balance of each side wasn't always equal and some broke as he lifted them. Izuku worried that he might get splinters, but he supposed it was good training. There must be some quirk out there that causes splinters. A villain won't wait for you to pull it out.

Nana continued to send the poor boy around the junkyard, making him carry and push all kinds of things around, reorganizing the entire yard. He didn't get a second to rest, the only stop he took was to keep from dying of heat exhaustion. By the time the sun was setting, Toshi crashed onto the floor in a heap of sweaty teen. The three heroes gathered around, Nana giving him a big smile and patted his back.

"Toshi, you did wonderful." She helped him to his feet, although he looked ready to fall again. Nana didn't seem to notice -or care- as she smacked him over the head and laughed. "I remember how skinny you were when you first came to me. That was just last year! Can you imagine that?!"

Izuku smiled. Toshi was definitely toned now and if he had started out like Izuku, then that was a world of difference. Nana sadly didn't have any pictures for the four of them to see, like All Might had. He hadn't screamed on top of a pile of trash either, although their goals were very different. Nana hadn't told Toshi to clean an entire beach before the UA entrance exams. In ways, it was a better training exercise. Izuku could've used the daily combat training, but building his bustle was the most important thing. Besides, knowing the way All Might treated hand to hand combat, he probably wouldn't survive that kind of work out.

"I have decided that you're ready. You've proved yourself strong and worthy enough to hold One For All." Nana let go of the boy and replaced her bright smile with a smirk of pride.

Izuku almost gasped at her statement. Toshi was receiving One For All today?! He got to see the power of each holder be passed over to the first quirkless holder. This was a point he will always remember and had only dreamt of before. Every ounce of fanboy Izuku had shoved away over the years had returned and he couldn't help but shout in delight. "Oh my goodness!"

Gran Torino gave him a sour look but it did nothing to dampen his spirit. Nana continued. "This power has been passed from the start of quirks, down from each valiant warrior before us. It's purpose it pure and whole. I am trusting you with this power." Izuku almost pissed her pull a hair from her head. Oh. right. He almost forgot how it was transferred. Holding the hair high in the air, she beamed. "Toshi, eat this hair and the future will be yours."

Toshi's astonished face froze, then fell. "What?" Izuku had to hold back his laughter. HIs face was probably the same as Izuku's when All Might had told him -quite literally- to eat it.

Nana's bravo faltered a bit. "Well, I could always have you drink a drop of my blood but hairs are flavorless and relatively easier to eat. Just ball it up and pop it in."

Izuku hadn't even thought about doing it through blood. He thanked his lucky stars All might hadn't presented to him his blood. The thought made him sick.

"Are you sure?!" He didn't scream like Izuku had, which was a good sign. He did hesitate to take it though.

"It'll be fine. It's just a hair." Nana assured.

After staring at the woman for a few seconds, he slowly opened his mouth. She nodded again for encouragement and he placed the hair on his tongue. It took Gran Torino yelling to get him to actually swallow it.

Then, he started gagging. Izuku screamed and tried to find a way to help, but Gran Torino beat him to it. Toshi was handed a bottle of water and tried to wash the hair down. Once it was down, he shivered. "That was really gross." He muttered.

Nana ignored the moment of panic. "So, how do you feel?"

Izuku looked at her in confusion. Was he supposed to feel anything? All Might had said it was normal to not feel a change. Surely they hadn't done anything wrong…

Toshi seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he gave her a confused look too. "No. It feels normal."

The female hero rubbed at her chin, thinking through the possibilites. "Well, you don't have a quirk to offer to One For All, so it probably wouldn't feel different." She contemplated.

"What did it feel like for you?" Toshi ased, his disgust slowly easing. "Was it like the quirk was sucking your power inside of it? Did it hurt? Supercaller said it was like that when he got his powers, but that was also from radioactive plasma." The boy added.

"It was like a swelling, like my heart was pumping too fast but in a good way." Nana supplied.

"I didn't feel anything either." Izuku added, hoping his input would reassure the preteen. "It's probably what you said, because we don't have quirks."

Smiling, Toshi punched the hair, but looked disappointed when nothing happened. "How do I use it?" Izuku almost laughed at the question, but not with cruel intent. That was what he had been asking himself all through high school. At least Toshi wouldn't have the burden of using Blackwhip. Although a good quirk, it was very difficult to control.

"It's not that simple." Nana supplied. "It takes years to even understand it, let alone use it. We'll help you, alright? All you have to worry about is getting into UA."

"UA?! I'm going to UA?!" Toshi shouted, completely taken up in shock. "That's the best hero school in Japan! How am I going to get into UA?!"

Nana laughed and ruffled his hair. "Don't doubt your abilities, Toshi. You've got five months to rain with this new quirk. We'll make sure you get in."

Five months? That was a lot longer than Izuku got, but he still managed to get in -thanks to Ururuaka's kindness. All Might had said he wasn't as prone to breaking his limbs as Izuku...so the extra practice made sense. Toshi would likely be more careful to use it as well.

"We'll get started tomorrow, alright? I'll show you how to activate it and some ways to keep yourself from blowing your limbs off." Nana laughed, although it was hardly something funny.

"But it's barely dark!" Toshi protested.

"You've worked enough for today. Go enjoy some rest."

Reluctantly, Toshi started walking back toward wherever he lived. Gran Torino offered to take him, seeing as they had jumped across town for this. With the two gone, Nana took her chance to talk to Izuku.

"So, he's your master? Kinda short for a master so far." She joked.

Izuku laughed along. If only she knew. "He'll grow. UA should treat him nicely. It's the school he sent me to as well, although, I had kind of fantasies about going there anyway." He blushed, remembering when he played UA with his mother, pretending to be a student in that school.

"He's got some big dreams and he'll need all the help he can get. He's a bright kid, but this kind of work can really break you in." The mood grew sober after that statement.

Looking at the floor, Izuku contemplated something he'd wanted to tell Nana for a while. Deciding it was worth the risk, he spoke up. "Nana, I'm allowed to tell you things about the future as long as they don't happen based off of a decision you made, right?"

"Well, the future is kind of yours to tell. No one set of rules on what to say and what not to, but remember than whatever you say, I won't forget it. There's no taking that kind of stuff back."

Nodding to himself, be took the leap. "Nana, where I came from, the time I lived in, Toshi-my teacher is gone. He'd already lived his life and passed." He spoke slowly.

Nana didn't interrupt but gave him a sweet but sober smile. He continued. "He was my everything, Nana. My teacher, idol, hero, father. He was all I had wanted and all I dreamed to be. He was the reason I became who I am. He's the reason I can smile through the pain and save people...but…"

She didn't interrupt him when he took the time to collect himself. He hadn't talked to anyone about All Might in years. His mother was afraid of the pain it caused him, his friends were raw about his death as well, especially Kacchan. No was brave enough to just talk about it.

"Nana, I wasn't there for him. When he went in for surgery, I wasn't there. I didn't comfort him, or wave goodbye. He must have been scared, surgery always scared him. I decided to go to a party, celebrating the top heroes of that year. I spent my time drinking wine and laughing with my friends instead of helping the one person who had faith in me." He was openly crying now, but he couldn't stop talking. "How could I do that? How could I ignore the fact that he was literally suffocating over my own pleasure?! How can I call myself a hero when I let him die alone?! How-"

He couldn't talk anymore. His throat felt dry and his nose was running. He tried to wipe away the heavy tears but they kept coming. A hand started rubbing at his back as he sobbed, cried so openly. Those arms held him tight, soft whispers of reassurance echoed through his mind.

Nana stopped his whispering -he hadn't even realized he was speaking- before it could go on. "Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened to Toshi. You couldn't have known that was his time. You've shown time and time again how much you love him, just by being here. Please, stop blaming yourself." She helped wipe his tears.

He'd heard those words from everyone who had been with him, his mother especially, but somehow, those same words meant the world to him now. Sniffing, he hugged her back and finally saw All Might in a different light. He wasn't the father he'd failed, but a mentor who loved him.

"Are you okay now?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah, yeah. I am." He gave her a weepy smile. "Thanks, Nana."

"Just keep helping us train Toshi and we'll call it even."

Izuku could agree to that.


	10. Chapter 10

Time started to blur together. Toshi got stronger and bigger, graduating middle school at six feet tall and started to prepare for his entrance exam. Izuku had started to get paid for the hero work he did not long after, allowing him to get himself whatever he needed.

After a summer of hard training, Toshi was finally ready to take his entrance exam for UA. Izuku, who had taken the exam already, became a valuable asset to his performance -although they haven't passed any information he held as fact, because no one knew how often UA changed their entrance exam.

"You'll do great, Toshi." Nana beamed, hugging the blond tightly. She gave his head a kiss before he ran off, far better off than Izuku had been. Unfortunately, Toshi hadn't made a fool of himself like Izuku had, which turned into one of the greatest friendships he'd had. If he hadn't tripped that first day, then he wouldn't have gotten into UA...most likely.

"Plus Ultra!" Toshi shouted at the front entrance of the building, fist held high in the air, like he had in Kamino. Would.

"Plus Ultra!" Izuku shouted back, and the two of them got a few strange stares from incoming students. He was going to knock them dead.

…

Toshi came back hours later, tired and a bit bruised. Apparently, the robots had stayed the same through the years. A second year said it was because of the new principal, Nezu, which made sense. Izuku had almost wanted to go right up to the mouse to see if he could figure out his predicament. It wasn't beyond this power. If anyone knew anything about time travel, it would be Nezu, but Izuku didn't have him as a resource. Besides, there had been an update that the person who sent him there had been born, but their quirk wouldn't show for another handful of years, let alone getting to the level of mastery they need.

"I got a good amount of robots, but there were so many people. Once I got fifty points kind of just...stopped." Toshi confessed.

The thought of stopping was unfathomable to Izuku. "Why? You don't even know if you were completely clear." Nana and Gran Torino grew worried as well.

"Well, I didn't want to hit anyone, so I tried to get the more rural robots and then there was a kid that was on the floor. I tried to keep other people from stomping on him and I guess I was so focused that...I forgot about needing robots. I kind of forgot it was all fake too."

How could Izuku be mad at that? He wasn't really upset in the first place, but the statement stands. Toshi is a true hero, like Ururuaka had been. This was a pure reminder of why he's looked up to All Might so much.

"I'm proud, Toshi. Of course, if you don't get into UA, there are always more hero schools. You're not hopeless if you don't cut it." Nana encouraged.

The three of them walked Toshi back to the park for a bit more training, despite the exam. It was always good to be prepared. Who knew what UA had in store for him.

Thankfully training ended shortly, letting the blonde rest for longer. Izuku waved to Gran Torino and Nana as they walked away, but Toshi stayed with him. Turning to the shorter -if slightly-male, Izuku questioned why he'd stayed behind. The teen pulled at his bangs before answering. "Well, do you remember that conversation we had a long time ago? It's okay if you don't. It really was a while-"

"What conversation?" Izuku interrupted, hoping to stop the tangent before it could start.

"The one about…my dad." The reminder made Izuku uncomfortable but he pushed it away. "It's just, I guess I didn't realize how bad it was back then." He spoke with more confidence now. "My dad, he hasn't even noticed I got a quirk. He hasn't asked where I go after school or how I'm gaining muscle. He doesn't really...say anything anymore."

Izuku had to tread carefully now. He didn't know exactly what Toshi was asking, but he was making a guess. "Do you want help?" He really hoped the teen didn't take it the wrong way.

"Yes." Toshi answered immediately. "Well, I guess it's not really for me. I want him to have help, but he's not going to get it alone. I was hoping you could...point me in the right direction?"

"Of course! Thank you for trusting me." Izuku exclaimed a bit too loudly. "Well, I could always contact the police, but that could get...difficult. Maybe I could ask him myself?"

Toshi shook his head. "No. I suggested it last week, but he doesn't want any."

"Then I guess going to the police is the safest bet. It might be a harer strategy, but heroes can only do so much. We don't have all the authority in the world."

"Then let's do it." The way the blonde smiled gave Izuku hope. He could help this time line. He was needed here.

…

Toshi walked to the police station with Izuku the next morning. He made sure to emphasise that nothing happened to Toshi and his father never offered beer to him. They understood well enough, but explained that some procedures were needed, just in case.

The next half hour, the police were arresting Toshi's father, sending him to a rehab center instead of a jail cell. His father went calmly, likely due to intoxication, but Izuku knew it was difficult for Toshi to watch.

"Excuse me, Hero." An officer called toward them. "I have to take this young man for an interview. It will help with the case."

"Why don't you just ask him?" Izuku knew these kind of people. They had probably read Toshi was quirkless in his file and refused to address him as an intelligent human being. "I'm not his guardian. He's old enough to give you that kind of permission."

The officer gave Toshi a sour look, as if he wasn't looking straight at her, and asked him the same question. He gave her a cheerful smile and nodded. "I can surely do that, Ma'am. Thank you so much for taking this case."

She seemed a bit surprised, but rushed away. "Wait, when will he be done?" Izuku called out.

"He'll be done in roughly an hour. You can do what you want with him after." She snorted and they drove him away.

Izuku was nervous through that entire hour. He knew how the law worked and knew they wouldn't hurt the boy, but that didn't stop him from biting his nails to the skin. It wasn't like Toshi couldn't defend himself. He was a highschooler, had a powerful quirk and was pretty handy with it as well. But they didn't know that. They didn't care. All they saw was someone disabled, because that was what quirkless was considered, especially in his own childhood.

Exactly an hour later, Izuku came to the police office. Toshi was already sitting on a bench, waiting. Before he could simply take the boy home, another officer pulled him to the side. "I know this may not be your business, Hero, but this kid needs somewhere to live. Foster care isn't the best for someone his age, especially with an unstable quirk."

"Unstable quirk?" Izuku repeated. How did they…

"He told us that he had developed a power quirk late last year. Late quirks are typically unstable and a risk to anyone they stay with."

Izuku could connect the dots now. He was a hero, Toshi needed somewhere to go. "I'll let him live with me" He stated simply.

The officer stared at him for a while before nodding slowly. "Okay. That's okay." He gave Izuku a mountain of papers to sign and once that was all through he finally took Toshi home.

There were a few boxes of items he had been told to collect from his house already. Picking one up -which was actually pretty heavy- they walked into the apartment. It was big enough for two. Nothing unusual. Setting the box down, be began looking through them, formulating where he was going to put so many comics.

"I can just shove these over in the corner. I don't really need much of this stuff out." Toshi started pushing the boxes around before Izuku stopped him.

"You'll be staying here for a while. Might as well get comfortable. You can use whatever you want. This place is yours too." Izuku smiled and started sorting through the fridge. Plenty to eat. Good.

As the teen unpacked, Izuku made a sad excuse of dinner -rice and tomatoes. Just as he was about to call the younger boy in, he stopped, eyes focus on the device in Toshi's hand.

"You have a switch?!" He exclaimed. They were almost retro by this point. How did he find one that could still function?

"Oh, yeah. My grandpa gave it to me as a present a while back. The drift's a little messy but other than that it's brand new. I got a few games to." He started digging through and pulled out another legendary discovery.

"Brawler Heroes 3?!" Izuku was across the room in seconds. "This was back before they added All-" Izukus topped himself. He couldn't tell Toshi about his future self. "How many players does it have?"

"Only, like, seventy. The graphics are pretty old too. Did yo play this as a kid?"

"No! It was out of stock long before I got my hands on it."

"Well, wanna play?" Toshi pulled the red controller off of the device and handed it to Izuku.

Within seconds of the device turning on, the two were lost in the beautiful, magical experience that was playing Brawler Heroes 3. Dinner had gone cold before they had the thought to put the game down.


	11. Chapter 11

All Might had kept a lot of secrets from him. That was one of the only things Izuku didn't like about the hero. Right when he thought he knew it all, another secret slipped out. However, as bad as Izuku thought All Might was with his secrets, Nana was worse.

"You have to tell him!" Izuku exclaimed, desperate to talk some sense into her.

"Izuku, I understand your concern, but Toshi really doesn't need to know about All For One. He's in highschool. I don't want him to get distracted or scared." Nana tried to reason.

"That would be understandable if this wasn't the strongest villain on earth! What are you going to do when he shows up? Is he just going to assume it was a mistake?"

"I have to agree with him, Nana. Toshi should know." Gran Torino agreed. Izuku would've been surprised if he wasn't so focused on changing the woman's mind.

"He isn't just a child. He's your successor and deserves to know what this quirk's purpose it!" Izuku pleaded.

"What if he tries to go after him for revenge? How am I supposed to protect him? One For All is fading, I'm getting weaker." Nana sighed and rubbed at her temples. "And if he doesn't go after All For One, how can he enjoy his own quirk without thinking of the corruption it holds?"

"It's not corruption! This quirk was made to manipulate someone who refused to submit, but now, it's purpose it to end a terrible villain. This isn't just about murder and revenge, it's about purifying the word of that evil."

Nana paused for a second. At one point, Izuku had asked those same questions, if this quirk was corrupted or made to murder, but All Might provided the best answer that could be given. Now, he had the chance to give that same inspiration to Nana.

"Alright." She breathed. "I'll tell him. Just promise me he won't do anything stupid." Her eyes were gentle and cincere.

Really, Izuku couldn't promise that. He had no idea if Toshi would go after him and he had no way of finding out. He just had to trust him then. "I promise.

…

Nana and Gran Torino sat next to each other on the couch, Izuku prefering to stand. Toshi was thoroughly confused and continued to stare between the tree heroes, waiting for an explanation. Finally, after so long of waiting, Nana started.

"Toshi, there's something about One for All that you need to know about." She continued to explain the history of their shared quirk. Toshi stayed quiet through the entire explanation and didn't talk once she was done. "Toshi?" She asked. Izuku felt chills run down his arms. What was he going to say?

"How...when was the last time he showed up?" Toshi asked quietly. "He's still around, right? He's still killing people?"

Nana hesitated before nodding. "Y-yes. He's still...active."

The tension of the room grew dark. Toshi's expression never changed but he didn't let Nana break eye contact. Right when Izuku thought he might not respond at all, he spoke again. "Then I'll stop him. I'll train harder and because the kind of hero that can stop him."

Izuku felt tears press at his eyes. He had become just that. A hero that stood up to All For One. All Might had used all he had left to protect this world from that evil. If only Nana could live to see it.

…

Nana's husband was found, murdered, at the beginning of Toshi's second year at UA. Gran Torino was the one who found the crime scene and relayed the information to his partner quickly. Then, Izuku got the news over the phone.

"Tell Toshi for me, please. I don't want him doing anything stupid right now. Nana really needs this time to grieve." that was the softed Izuku had ever hear Gran Torino's voice. He didn't get the chance to respond before the other hero hung up.

"Is dinner ready?" Toshi called as he walked into the kitchen, unaware of the news Izuku now had the responsibility to relay to him. It was going to be a fun night as well. They were planning on playing some more video games, watching movies and sleeping in the next morning.

"Hey, Toshi." Izuku's smile was obviously strained, telling by the way the teen looked at him.

"You didn't hurt it again, did you?" He joked, but it fell short. Izuku really didn't feel like laughing right now.

"Come here, Toshi." Izuku sighed as he made his way to the couch. The cushion seemed to give way more than usual, or maybe it was the pull at his heart. Once the blond was seated next to him, Izuku started. "I just got a call from Gran Torino. He said that he found...he found Nana's husband, dead in her living room." His throat went dry, betraying his attempt of stability.

Toshi gave a soft gasp and tugged at his shirt, obviously trying to keep the shock to himself. "Is...is she alone now?"

"I believe so, but Gran Torino said-"

"Then let's go to her." Toshi stood up and began pulling on a stray jacket. Izuku managed to stop him before he put on his shoes.

"Toshi, she lost her husband. She needs time to grieve and I don't know if-"

Toshi interrupted him once again. "A hero's job is to get involved with someone else, even if you don't have to?" He reminder made Izuku pause. He hasn't heard that line in years. "Some people night not want saving, but that doesn't mean they still don't need it. Nana might think she wants to be alone right now, but she needs us."

He didn't know what to say. Toshi was absolutely right. He let Iida grieve his brother in peace, but that only grew into revenge. He left Kacchan alone to grieve Kirishma, but that only ended in more anger. He pushed people away after All Might's death, and look where he ended up. "Alright." He whispered, more to himself than Toshi.

Smiling, the teen slipped on his shoes and raced out the door, not giving Izuku enough time to catch up. They ended up running the entire way to Nana's house, a car just barely leaving her driveway. It was likely her child being sent into the foster system. That act would later cause problems, but Izuku had to let it go for how. Something that drastically changed could ruin the entire future.

Toshi stood just outside her door, knocking bravely, like a hero coming to the rescue. When the door opened, that confidence withered, along with Izuku's heart. The constantly smiling woman, Nana Shimura, now had tears streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were puffy and red and her mouth turned downward in the saddest frown. She looked between the two boys in confusion, and when she spoke, her voice was hoarse and watery from crying. "What are you doing here?"

"We wanted to help you." Toshi responded, just as softly. "You shouldn't have to be alone right now."

"No." Nana wiped at her face. "No, you should leave. I don't want you to see-"

Izuku couldn't let her finish that statement. "We're here because we care. We all know loss, it's nothing forein among us. We want to support you the way you did for us. You shouldn't be alone through this." he pressed, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Please, Nana." Toshi seemed caught between hugging her and keeping his distance.

It took awhile for her to respond, but finally, she nodded and opened the door wider. They stepped through and they sat with her at the kitchen table. Neither wanted to force a conversation, so they waited for her to start. After a series of sighs and half sobs, she started. "You know...he was always complaining about the stains in this table." She gave a sad laugh and picked up her cup of warm tea to drink. "It drove me up the wall. Every time he sat down, he would mention the stains. Now...now I can't seem to hate those comments anymore." She rubbed at the bags under her eyes and pulled the ponytail from her hair.

She wasn't in her hero costume either. Instead, she wore a loose shirt and a pair of sweatpants. Her hands shook slightly and her breath hiccups ever so often. Toshi was the first to respond. "What did you love about him?" The innocent question sounded far too heavy for a moment like this, and Izuku was about to pass it off, but she waved him away.

She gave Toshi the smallest smile. "I loved the way he looked at me. I know, it's old people stuff. Gross, right?" She nudged the teen and he let out a soft chuckle. "But...you have to experience it to understand. No matter how mad he was, no matter how late I came back from patrols, he always looked at me like I meant everything to him. He's brush my hair when I was too tired to do it myself. He'd get out of bed to pull my boots and gloves off. He's hang up my cape and embrace me no matter how dirty I was. He loved me, because I was all he cared about."

Toshi gave a soft "wow", completely enchanted by the idea. Izuku was as well. He knew he'd never be able to understand that feeling, but maybe, some day, he could love someone like that too.

Nana continued. "When I was pregnant, he stayed up with me through very kick, every twist and contraction. One time, I asked him why he stayed up, when he could just sleep in peace. You know what he said?"

She waited for Toshi's responded, which was just a shake of the head. "He said that he couldn't let me go through that pain alone. He couldn't sleep if he knew I wasn't able to as well. It's kind of like this." She gestured to the three of them. "You two decided to leave the comfort of your home to make sure I was okay. I didn't ask you to. I didn't even want you to, but you did anyway. I can't thank you enough for that."

Toshi left his chair to hug Nana. He pressed his cheek against her head and let her sob softly against his arms. "Is there anything else you want to share?" He asked.

She nodded slowly and wiped at her eyes again. Izuku decided to take that moment of silence to gather a box of tissues. They'd need them for a while. She gave him a thanking nod before starting. "I remember our first New Years together. He got so mad about me working on the holiday, but villains don't rest for New Years. We go tinto such a big argument, I thought it was all over. How could I live with a man who hated me for protecting the city? Of course, that was an angry me talking." He gave a small laugh.

"When I was about to go out for patrols, he stopped me. By that point, I was ready to punch him and move on, but...he said this one thing. He said, 'I hate you, Nana. I hate you...but I love you so much more'." She started crying again, but these tears came without taking her breath away. "Never has anyone ever said that to me. I know people have hated me before, it comes with being a hero and a strong willed woman. But, that day, I realized that even though I made him mad, be would still always love me."

Izuku joined the hug as well, taking the story to heart. "I can't believe someone would kill someone so wonderful." The green haired hero sighed, hoping he hadn't made the situation worse for her.

"It's because All For One's a monster." She growled. "He's a ruthless murderer who doesn't deserve life. There are few people in this world who don't deserve redemption, but he is definitely one of them."

They stayed quiet for a while. Izuku knew how true that was. Nana's anger wasn't unshared. Not only Izuku, but All Might felt the same way. After seeing, up close, what that monster did to his teacher, he couldn't forgive him. Calling him human was giving him praise he didn't deserve.

The night grew darker and later. Nana eventually had to sleep, and although it took quite a bit of bargaining, Toshi left with Izuku. They had to trust that she was going to be okay without them. At least for tonight.


	12. Chapter 12

Izuku got the notice for the attack an hour after it happened. He had been invited, along with Toshi and Gran Torino, to go to a ceremony in Nana's honor. It was strange at first. Nana wasn't a huge hero. She hadn't traveled anywhere beside Tokyo and Musuatfu. Getting called into a more rural city was suspicious, but it seemed like a nice offer.

They had been told to wear their hero uniforms, showing off their style. Toshi wore his latest costume, only having protective cuffs, boots and a chest plate as real protection. This was the last stage of his body armor until it became non existent, something Izuku had fanboyed about very hard. All Might mentioned this exact costume in their training once.

There were several other heroes there, some coming from the native city, others from entirely different countries. Izuku ran from one hero to the other, asking about their quirk and any experiences they had. It'd been awhile since he last embraced an opportunity like this. Thankfully, the heroes present were patient enough to handle his muttering and billions of questions.

"Thank you, heroes of the ages." A man in a nice, clean suit spoke into a microphone. He stood on a small stage, a spotlight blazing right over his head. He gestured to one side of the room. "I'm so thankful for those of you that come from across the seas. Some of you may not even know what I'm saying." That made the room echo with laughter. He continued again once it died down. "I thank those of you who come from Tokyo, Musutafu, and many many other cities. It's a pleasure to meet so many shining heroes."

He continued to speak about honors and gratitude to the organizers of the event. Izuku knew no one he named, so he let his mind wonder. The man smiled calmly, as if he did this every day. He seemed like a hero fan as well, but something about him made Izuku pause. He ignored the thought, for the time being.

A soft tap on his shoulder made the green haired hero turn. Toshi was holding a glass of wine, offering it to Izuku. "I can't drink it, so you can have it." Toshi explained.

Who was giving this poor boy alcohol? Izuku took it and took a small sip, just to have something to do. "I guess you look older than you are. That can help you in some cases."

"Like getting wrinkles sooner? No thanks." He laughed and patted Izuku's back. A quick look around the roo, told him Nana and Gran Torino were standing near by, talking like him and Toshi. Good.

"I would like to announce a prize for tonight." The man spoke louder now, drawing Izuku's attention. "As you know, there's a rumor of hero ranks showing soon. Fortunately, I can confirm those rumors as true. Tonight, we shall announce the first hero to receive the title, Number One Hero. Of course, we will have Number Two and Number Three as well." A few heroes laughed.

An alarm flared in Izuku's mind. Hero ranks hadn't been passed until after All Might's debut. There was no way today was the start of hero ranking. And even if it was, why was he there? He'd only been in this time for two and a half years, definitely not enough time to get a high rank. Wouldn't this be broadcasted throughout the world as well? What was this man playing at?

Nana's voice pulled Izuku out of his thoughts. "Toshi, Izuku. We're leaving." She stated, a serious look on her face.

"Leaving?" Toshi questioned. He looked at the other heroes in the room, probably trying to assess any danger.

She didn't respond, just grabbed the boy's arm and pulled him toward the exit. Gran Torino was in front of her and Izuku followed. One For All flared through his veins, ready to act at any moment.

They pushed past a few other heroes, who gave them dirty looks. Izuku tried to apologize to a few of them, but didn't make a scene. Just as Gran Torino opened the door, ready to lead the three of them outside, the ground began to shake.

When Izuku looked around the room again, he saw the speaker staring back at him. Suddenly, it clicked. Though he had ever seen the man's face, he could tell who it was. The rush of dread and anxiety was unmistakable. White hair, dark eyes, a powerful aura. All For One was staring straight into Izuku's mind, activating another quirk to break the wall behind him.

The ceiling tiled and fell over their heads. Large clumps of cement hit the heroes below, a few never getting back up. Izuku crouched low, covering his head and back the best he could. Another crash sounded and he was getting pulled out of the room. He couldn't see through the thick clouds of white dust, so he followed blindly.

The strong arm pulled from the building entirely. Izuku coughed and stared at the building they had just left. Gran Torino, Nana and Toshi were next to him, Toshi still holding his arm. The building's top stories began to call into the lower ones, pushing the dust inside out.

Time seemed to slow just before the cloud hit him. It rolled and tumbled closer and closer until he couldn't see or breathe anymore. The coughing got worse and he could vaguely hear people inside and on the street screaming. Pulling on his mask, Izuku wiped the dust from his eyes, finally able to see again.

He helped a few closer civilians get to safety. Sirens began blaring and the building crashed again, sending out the last cloud of dust. His mask keeps the dust out of his eyes, but the atmosphere was too fogged over. A giant piece of the building fell just above a couple, so Izuku ran. He managed to just get them out of the way, the rough edge of the cement scratching at his lower leg. He cried out, but continued to move. He couldn't help himself until everyone was safe.

A yellow gloved hand gripped Izuku's hood and pulled him away from the calling debris. It was hard to think through the adrenaline and Izuku turned toward the person pulling him, ready to fight. Gran Torino's face was closer than he expected it to be. "Izuku, you're bleeding. Sit on the side and let us handle this."

He didn't get a second to speak before he found himself pushed back, lading right next to an ambulance. The paramedics immediately ran to him, checking out his leg, but Izuku couldn't sit there. He couldn't watch those people die. All For One was in there somewhere and none of them were strong enough to fight him.

Izuku stood up, but more doctors held him down. "Let me go!" He shouted in frustration. "I have to save them! They need me!"

"I'm sorry, Hero. You're injured and if we don't treat this now, you'll end up much worse." The paramedics tried to reason but One For All started to build and he was easily able to throw them off. He ran back into the field, wiping dust from his face. He could barely see Gran Torino gathering civilians and taking them back to the safe zone. Although his costume was mostly white, it was easy to see the layers of dust on his cape and shoulders.

Izuku avoided the older hero and gathered a few other civilians. As he scooped a crying child into his arms, another explosion sounded and the dust doubled. Another building fell and this time, it sent a shock wave out, pushing the dust away from the scene. He could now see Nana, fist to fist with All For One. She stood in a large crater, where Izuku assumed the first building had been. She didn't look too beaten, putting up a good fight, considering how much her power had depleted.

The child cried louder, reminding Izuku of his rescue assignment. He had to trust her for now. Taking the child to the line of paramedics, he set them down and ran off before anyone else could stop him. His leg stung, sharp pain shooting through his body with every step, but he couldn't stop. He could hear Recovery Girl cursing his recklessness and All Might's begging for him to just stop, but he had people to save.

The area was mostly clear when the entire city seemed to erupt into a series of explosions and shock waves. Izuku didn't know where to go, where to look. Everything was happening at once. Buildings were falling, children were crying, the shouts of heroes echoed in his mind like flies. He was so completely lost. Time was slowing again and when he looked back to where Nana stood, he could see her bruises clearly. She was bleeding from her right eyebrow and her lip looked swollen. She needed help, desperately.

The world grew dark around the thick smoke in the air. A fire must have started somewhere. It was like the sun had abandoned him, leaving them alone in this nightmare. Looking to the side, Izuku watched in shock as the entire line of paramedics and nurses were struck by a thick bolt of lightning. This bolt didn't come from the sky, it came from the man responsible for this horror. All For One.

The ambulances and firetrucks erupted in flames, anyone inside burning to ash in seconds. The air grew warm as more and more people died, innocent children, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. All of them dying because of one man. One monster.

Izuku didn't know what to do, so he ran. He ran right into the crater All For One stood in. A streak of yellow and white beat him to it. The suited man was hit, but he barely os this balance. He calmly turned on his heel and punched in perfect time to his Gran Torino. How did he know he could be there? How could they fight him?

The jet hero faltered and lept back to the side, a trail of blood following. All For One got another hit on Nana, sending her back toward the edge of the crater and another flash sent the villain forward, if just slightly. When he saw who had given the second attack, his stomach dropped and Izuku couldn't tell if he was screaming aloud or in his mind. Toshi shouldn't be here.

Racing forward, Izuku gave a hit of his own, but the punch fell just an inch too far to the left, missing him entirely. He stumbled and a foot kicked him to the floor with more force than All Might.

He gasped for breath and tried to scramble away, but the leg held him in place. He was trapped. Izuku could feel another blow to the man above him but it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

The foot shifted and he heard a sickening crack. Gran Torino fell just inside Izuku's view. No. He tried to reach for the hero, tried to just touch his cape, but he was just out of reach. "Gran Torino! Get up!" He shouted, but there was no response. He couldn't be dead. That wasn't possible. Gran Torino lived in his time.

"NO!" Toshi shouted behind him and All For One faltered again. It was enough of an opening for Izuku to twist his body around and knock the leg away. He was free again.

The green hero ran to the prone body of Gran Torino and tried to check for signs of life. A wave of relief washed over him as he saw his chest rise and fall. He was alive, just knocked out. That was okay for now.

Turning toward the scene behind him, Izuku saw All For One hold Toshi in the hair with one hand around the boy's neck, cutting off his airway. Izuku tried for that punch again, this time, hitting him square in the jaw. The villain fell over this time, but it didn't last long. Those dark eyes bore into the hero's skin, making him freeze against his will.

"You." He hissed out. "I know where you're from. You're from the future." He stood up straight but didn't move to approach. "You're the one messing up this world, changing my plans. You're here to make sure nothing bad happens, right? Well, no matter how strong you are, you cannot defeat me. I've prepared specially for you." The first step sent a wave of dread through Izuku's body. He was still paralyzed in his spot. "I've acquired a certain set of quirks, just to see your end. Of course, I'll continue my tradition of killing the last holder, but this time, I can end it as well."

Is arm built up, like it did in Kamio. It mutated, bulked and grew in a way that was inhuman. Looking away from that fist for a second, he saw Nana struggling to stay awake, Toshi seething in a trap of metals and concrete, likely made by some kind of matter manipulation quirk, and Gran Torino groaning behind him.

This was it. This was Izuku's end. All of their ends. This was the moment Izuku saw his fate, the same fate All Might had scene at the hands of the same man. He had ruined time, made it impossible for the world to see All might or his bright hope. He had ruined everything.

In a single second, All For One was in front of him, smirking the same way he did in Kamino. Was this how All Might felt. The most powerful hero, the only one capable of killing this monster, but knowing it would end you?

Izuku almost missed Toshi breaking from his trap behind that massive fist. Instead of running to Izuku's rescue, he went to Nana, pulling her up and wiping blood from her head. Together, they looked at All For One, strong. Like they had a chance to beat him.

In a second, Izuku was free from paralysis and ran to Nana's side as well. Gran Torino was getting up, ready to fight as well. Together, like this, they could win. All For One couldn't hold against three strands of One For All Together. Not even he was powerful enough.

But...Nana turned to look at Toshi, giving him a weak smile that Izuku could barely see and rested her hand on his chest. Toshi turned toward her as well, confusion in his eyes. The last bits of their shared quirk flared in Nana's veins, light dancing around her skin like it did for Izuku. She pushed Toshi backward, sending him through the air.

The teen screamed for her, and Gran Torino zipped around the field to carry him further, toward safety. Izuku understood now. She was sacrificing herself for their safety. That single action could cause Toshi years and years of pain and sorrow, but at least he would live. He could become All Might.

She turned toward Izuku and gave him the same smile. "You too." Her voice was rough from battle. He shook his head, and stood his ground. They have to fight this, together.

"No." His own voice felt raw and hurt, but he ignored it. "We do this together." He added a smile of his own.

A sad look came over her face before she nodded. "Alright." Then, they both looked back toward All For One, the villain edging closer slowly. In unison, the two raced forward, raising their fists for an attack. It gave Izuku an odd feeling. It was like he was running slowly, trying to draw out the last seconds of his and nana's life.

Just before They made contact with the villain, Izuku was pushed away from the battle. Sand collected under his shoes as he slid to a stop. What happened? Looking back toward the villain, he saw that Nana hadn't been hit either. All For One had aimed for him specifically and Nana saved him.

Izuku didn't have time to stop the next attack though. All For One drew his arm back, and thrust it toward Nana's entire body. She didn't fight back or even look the villain's way. She stared at Izuku the entire time.

Izuku wasn't aware he was running until he was close enough to touch them. He had to protect her, like she had done to him just barely. He couldn't let her die. Drawing back a punch of his own, Izuku aimed for the villain's head, ready to end this.

A bright light sprouted from the villain's eyes, so bright that Izuku couldn't see. It continued to get impossibly bright, seeming to ring through the hero's body and suddenly, everything stopped. There was no sound, no feeling.

Then, he fell to the floor beneath him, landing on a hard street. Everything ached and he vaguely wondered if he had died, but the sounds of beeping cars and shouting make Izuku wonder. There weren't angry drivers in the afterlife, were there?

The world was different than it had been the last three years. It was cleaner, bigger, familiar. "Deku!" He could hear his best friend crying as she drew closer.

Ururaka came into view and she wrapped her strong arms around him. "Where were you?! What have you been doing?!"

He couldn't answer. What happened? How was he back? What about...Nana?

"You've been missing for three days! Your mother's been crying ever since! Bakugou thought you finally lost it! I couldn't believe him! Deku!" She sobbed and pulled him closer. "I was so scared."

So, it was true. He was back in a world without Nana or All For One. He was in a world without All Might. Without Toshi.


	13. Chapter 13

Apparently, everyone though Izuku had been kidnapped or killed by a villain. His mother had visited him at the police department, where he had been forced to stay for three hours. He had been forced to give a statement about his disappearance and decided to tell them the trust. The only reason they didn't release him sooner was the lack of evidence for his story.

After being released from the police station, Izuku was then forced to stay at his mother's house. "You know how sensitive my old heart is." She sighed and set the cup of tea in front of him. He thankfully got a shower and his hero costume washed, but that didn't erase the heaviness in his heart.

The battle played through his mind over and over again. He had let Nana die and now, he was paying the price. He loved his mother and his friends. He loved his job so much, but it was like a hole in his chest. He had a bond with them, Gran Torino, Toshi and Nana. They were his family, the family he lost the day All Might died. Now, he was the only one who held this beautiful quirk.

"Izuku?" His mother's voice pulled him from his thoughts. "Are you okay? You keep looking at the wall…" She looked tied between getting up to embrace him again and staying in her seat. They had embraced a lot today.

"Mom...I saw him." It was all he could muster, but she understood. Of course she would.

"Oh, Honey." She gave another sigh and looked into her cup. "I can't begin to know what it was like, jumping to a different time. I can't imagine how scared you were."

Izuku didn't know how to respond so he ignored her comments. "He was so young and happy. I understand a part of him no one but his old teacher knows about. I've watched him grow up, Mom." Tears started stinging the ends of his eyes, but he wiped them away before they could fall. "We lived together for years."

Now, it was his mother's turn to not know how to respond. So, she stood up and walked toward their closet. It hadn't been opened in years but Izuku knew what she was doing. Carrying the large box with her to the couch, she sat next to him and opened it slowly. Inside laid all of those comics.

They were the same as the day they received them, but somehow, Izuku saw them differently. Now, he knew which ones were his favorites, which heroes he identified with most and which ones were ripped apart by his cruel classmates.

Izuku pulled out the Coolerman comic, remembering the stories Toshi told him about this hero. He opened the thin magazine pages and smiled at the illustrations. They were all the same. "A true hero doesn't leave when he's needed most." Izuku read the text aloud, hearing Toshi's voice in his mind. This was one of his favorite lines.

Beneath the comics were the few sketchbooks. Izuku opened the page and saw the ark smear of led across the page. Right, he had ruined this one. The drawing of him and Nana. She was just as beautiful as he depicted her. How did he manage to capture her brilliance in one picture?

As he searched through the other drawings, he smiled at the pictures of a grumpy Gran Torino and other comic heroes. The past page of the sketch book made Izuku pause. This page had been blank before.

Flipping it open, he saw himself. Well, a drawing of himself. Izuku's lungs stopped working for a second and he couldn't breathe. He had altered the future, if just slightly. Toshi drew him, added him to the sketch book of heroes, inspirations.

His mother gasped next to him. "Izuku!" her fingers hovered just above the image. "Is this because you…" She could comprehend it either.

"I was one of his heroes." Izuku whispered to himself. He set the sketchbook aside once he could think straight and looked through the old sketch book. There were more pictures of him, but they stayed scaris. Toshi was smart enough to know not to draw a hero from the future excessively, but he meant enough to the blond to get a spot in these beautiful books.

Izuku reorganized the box and left the couch to pull out the box gifted to his mother. The movies were very familiar to him. He'd watched almost all of them with Toshi while they lived together. He sat back down on the couch and smiled at the titles. "Toshi likes this one a lot." Izuku pulled out a more American movie, coming to do with aliens and holidays. "We watched it a lot."

When the green haired male looked closer at the box, he noticed that some fell unevenly. There was something under them. Pulling out stacks and stacks of movies, he gasped when he saw what lay at the bottom of the box. Toshi's switch and games. Slowly, he pulled the device out and looked at it.

"Wow!" His mother exclaimed. "Those came out just after quirks developed! How did Yagi get his hands on one? And in such good condition?" His mother gently pulled the device from Izuku's hands and examined it. Brawler Heroes 3 was the first game Izuku saw. All Might left him his favorite game too. He vaguely wondered if he could teach his mother to play. Maybe he could ask Todoroki? His mother gasped at the game too. "Look at this! How on earth did he get this?!"

"I played this with Toshi a lot. He liked playing as Sunman and Birdking." Izuku laughed at the memory. "He got so mad when I kept beating him at Dorf. We had to settle the score by wrestling in the living room. Then we baked cookies."

When his mother didn't respond, Izuku turned toward her, worried he hadn't actually said any of it aloud. Instead, he was met with his mother's happy but crying face. "Izuku, you healed." She whispered, covering her mouth with her hands.

Had he? He still hurt, being without him. He still wanted All Might to watch him, wondered how proud he would be. Was that really healing? When he asked as much, his mother wiped at her face. "It doesn't have to stop hurting for you to heal. It's always going to hurt a little bit, but now you can talk to people. You're not scared of losing control of your emotions. Heck, I haven't heard you openly say his name in months. What happened over those years that made this okay?"

That was a good question. What was it? "Maybe...when I talked to Nana about it. I've always blamed myself for not being there when All Might died. I decided to enjoy myself instead of staying at the hospital for him. Nana, Toshi's master, told me that it didn't matter. She kind of, showed me how much All Might really cared. That he wouldn't be mad at me for going to a party."

His mother leaned over the box between them to give him an awkward hug. He hugged her back, even though the corner of the box dug into his side. He loved his mother so much. "He loved you just as much as I did. He raised you, made you such a strong hero. Why on earth would he get mad about you being happy?"

Was it really that obvious? That easy to accept? Over all these years, he spent every second of everyday thinking about his failures. He thought about All Might's angry words and disappointed tone, but now, all he saw was his father's smile. His mother was right. Of course, his mother was always right about these things.

…

Izuku decided to visit All Might's grave as soon as he had time. When all of Japan mourned their Symbol of Peace, they decorated his statue. Wreaths of flowers were always in front of that memorial. Some people would write notes and put them in front of it, like All Might's would was able to read them. The statue was one of the cleanest monuments in Musutafu. There was likely never a second the statue was baron of gifts and flowers. Some fans flew across the world, just to give their respects.

The real grave was hidden, deep in a forest. It was at the highest point of the hill, as a symbol of his brilliance. It too was devoid of overgrown moss and always had flowers, but this grave felt more personal. Sure, the public grave was in Kamino, but this one was in All Might's favorite place in japan.

Izuku knelt in front of the stone, tracing the carved words with his hand. The years printed so boldly with a specific quote written underneath his name instead of the catchphrase that stood on the statue. "I smile to show the pressure of heroes and to trick the fear inside of me." A quote chosen by Kacchan, which was oddly sentimental for him.

"I hope I'm not interrupting." A rough but inviting voice called behind Izuku. Turning, he saw Gran Torino walking up to the grave, his cane supporting most of his weight. Izuku smiled at the old hero, inviting him to sit next to him. The old man shook his head at the offer. "Sorry, if I sit I might not get back up." He joked, mostly.

"What are you doing here?" Izuku asked, happy to see him but a bit nervous as well. He could remember Izuku from all the way back then?

"Am I not allowed to visit my own student's grave?!" He shook his cane in the way Recovery Girl did when she was mad.

"Of course you can! I was just, not expecting you." He answered lamely. Did Gran Torino come here often? Izuku really had no way of knowing. He'd never come back to this place since the funeral.

"Meh. I just heard the news about your trip and thought you might be here. Besides, Toshi's gonna get real lonely without any visitors. I know Nana did."

How did he know that? Izuku questioned, but stopped. It doesn't matter. "I'm glad I had the privilege of getting to know her."

"You sure did. Toshi was really sad when you didn't show up again." He stated plainly. "He thought he'd lost the both of you." So, Izuku had affected more of the past than he thought. Did his traveling back in time make All Might choose him as his successor. Was it painful for him to remember him when he didn't remember his own teacher? "You think too much, kid." Gran Torino blurted.

Izuku smiled and nodded. They stayed there in silence for a long time, finally able to understand each other. There was a bond there, a connection that hadn't been there before. Now, Izuku could see the world through changed eyes.

Author notes: This is technically the last chapter of the story, BUT! I will be writing a extended chapters for anything else I feel this story needs. Thanks everyone for reading this story and enjoying it! Please tell me what you liked and don't be scared to send reviews!


	14. The Death Of A Symbol

" ," sat with a professional tone. Toshinori knew something bad was going to come up. Something bad always came up whenever he checked in with his doctor. Really, he doubted anything his doctor told him would be much of a surprise. "I've been given note that you no longer work at UA due to your condition."

It was true. Nezu had heavily suggested he retire from all work now, not just his hero duties. The rising generation still had many great teachers to learn from and if they were seeking guidance, they could visit Toshinori at his house. There was no point in him straining so hard just to continue to teach.

Toshinori fought it for a while. He'd been forced to move to the UA dorms by the end of MIdoriya's first year, the walk to the school proving too much for his weak body. Then, the walk to the main building became too much. His single lung started to give out every once in a while, making it impossible to breathe for a minute at most. Usually, it would only happen once a day and at the end of it as well, but when it happened during class, everyone panicked and Recovery Girl had to inform Nezu. That was when he was fired.

Of course, there was no anger. Toshinori knew he had pushed himself and was responsible enough to take the consequences. He was driven home by another teacher and stayed there until he could get a doctor's appointment, which he was now at.

"Unfortunately, I doubt you'll be able to leave you house much, if at all. The fact that you even got here was a miracle. Now," The doctor began looking through files. That usually meant one of two things. Needed vaccines or- "There is a newly developed surgery that could save you some time on your legs." A shiver ran through Toshiori's system, but he didn't dare show it.

"Can I get more details." The retired hero -and teacher- asked politely. He hoped this wasn't another 'necessary for survival' surgery. He'd had enough of those for a lifetime.

"Of course. Our best surgeon will be using her quirk to implant rods into your arms and legs. This might stunt your height slightly, but I'm guessing you're not very worried about being short." Toshinori would've laughed, if he wasn't so unnerved by the idea of metal being screwed into his bones. "I know you've had a great deal of surgeries before, but this one will be very light, compared to some there's. It will be a quick job, just a few hours at most. The rods won't be very long, just a few inches to keep the tension on your bones at minimum. You will need to spend some time in physical therapy, but will be the worst of it."

Toshinori thought it through. He didn't really _need_ this surgery. He could only go outside for a little while, if at all. Izuku didn't need him anymore either. He was well beyond what his old, decrepit teacher could do. He was learning from better heroes and better teacher. If that wasn't enough, he was going to die any day now. He had already lived past what he expected and was in a lull, just waiting for fate to catch him.

But saying that he would willingly give up the use of his legs was a lie. He was a fighter at heart, after all. "When can I set up the appointment?" Toshinori already began looking through his schedule. All days were empty, but the action might have tricked his doctor at least.

"We should be ready in about a week or two. I can give you the call for an official time and date."

And it was set. A few days later, Toshinori received the call and built up his stamina for the trip across town. When the day finally came, he was a nervous wreck, but he made it all the same. Every step he took toward that hospital felt like a step closer to death. Really, there was no rational excuse for this fear. This wasn't his first surgery by far, but it would likely be his last.

The nurses stuck him into a hospital bed and told him to wait until the surgeon was ready. To his surprise, Izuku showed up in that time. Not only Izuku, but young Bakugou, Inko and Naomasa as well. Apparently, the hospital had called any emergency numbers, which only included Izuku and Inko -they must have spread word then. His friends and students set him at ease, talking away the dread if just for a few minutes.

"Hey, All Might." Izuku smiled, although his gaze was a bit distracted. "How do you feel?" Ever the hero, as always.

"This isn't my first rodeo, my boy. I'll be fine." He lied. "How are you? I didn't get the chance to see you this week."

"Oh, well…" Izuku rubbed at the back of his neck and avoided eye contact. Toshinori held back the laugh. This should be exciting. "You see, there's this party and it's for all of the upcoming heroes. Ururaka invited me and Eri keeps saying I have to get out more…"

"What's the catch, my boy? Usually, you wouldn't be so hesitant to go and enjoy yourself with your friends. Especially if Eri told you to." Toshinori joked and he manage to get a chuckle out of the young hero. That was good.

Then, the nervousness came back. "All Might, the party's today, during your surgery. What if you need me? What if something goes wrong and I'm out at a party? I'd feel so bad…" Thankfully, Young Bakugou didn't interrupt.

Toshinori gave his successor and son a bright smile before placing a hand on his shoulder. "My boy, you can enjoy yourself. This isn't some life or death situation. I'll be fine here."

Izuku hesitated before responding. "Is it really okay? It's not going to make you upset if I go?"

"Of course not! I want you to be happy, Izuku; and if you stay here, worrying, you won't be happy, now will you?" It finally seemed to register and Izuku smiled. He gave Toshinori a big hug and stood up.

"Thanks, Dad." The smile Izuku wore that day was one of the brightest. It made Toshinori's heart beat with pride. He had taught this boy to be a hero, and even if he couldn't watch his son grow all the way, at least he could he there for him now.

Young Bakugou wished him good luck on the surgery, in his own way. Naomasa and Inko both promised to see him once it was over. The nurses wheeled him away as they waved him goodbye. Something inside him said to wave back, this last time.

…

Toshinori woke up again, after surgery, with a clear, plastic mask over his mouth and various machines hooked up to his chest. His ears rang loudly as he watched blurred figures rush around the room. The gears in his mind were rusted over and too slow to solve this particular equation. What happened between falling asleep to now?

Then, his lung flared with pain. His eyes went wide, tears pricking at the edges and threatening to fall. He arched his back and pulled at the paper-thin hospital gown that covered his chest. He didn't dare breathe, in fear of the pain. The nurses began shouting and this time, he could hear it.

"His lung is firing up again!" "He's going to rip out his iv! Someone hold him still!" "Is there anyway to get him to stay still?!"

When spots began dancing around Toshinori's vision, he breathed in again and the pain released. He let out a heavy sigh and fell back onto the bed. Chaos continued around him, but he could only think of one thing. Where was his family? Where was Izuku? His eyes scanned each face, hoping to find green hair and soft freckles, but none of them matched. Where was he?

His lung flared up again, but this time, he was held down. He tried to breathe, hoping it would work again, but the fire spread from his lungs to his throat and blood painted the mask on his nose. He tried again and relief finally came. He could breathe again.

All at once, the nurses stopped, exchanged a sad and horrified look, and started to pack up their machines. The IV was taken out, the sensors were removed from his sweaty skin and the mask was pulled away from his mouth. The air outside was cold and made his skin prick with goosebumps.

The nurses left the room, closing it behind them. Why did they leave? Did they not know that he was in pain? A sudden, clarifying thought came through the thick fog. Did they give up?

When no one returned, Toshinori felt the tears run down the sides of his face, but for a different reason now. These were his last moments. He was going to die. He likely didn't even have a full day left. He was going to suffocate in his own blood, and he was going to do it alone.

Where was Inko and Naomasa? Hadn't they promised to see him? If the surgery failed, than was the promise still valid? No, they would come. They'd see him as he died. They wouldn't let him die alone, would they? They were his family. Family didn't just let you die alone...right?

A part of him wanted Izuku to walk through that door as well, but that was selfish. Why should the boy sacrifice a night of fun and ease for his old teacher's death? He had told Izuku to go and enjoy himself. Who was he to take back his own words?

But that feeling didn't go away. The squeezing of his heart, the urge to call for his son. He still wanted to see Izuku. He wanted to make sure the boy knew how much he loved him. He had to tell him that it was going to be okay. That even if he died, the boy could still become the greatest hero the world has ever seen. But he couldn't.

Izuku was gone, out of his reach. The reality of the situation made a soft sob rack through Toshinori's body. His lung stopped again. He couldn't breathe, but it didn't matter anymore. He was going to die here, alone. He was never going to live to see the next fashion trend or video game. He wasn't going to see the next Number One Hero, or the next Symbol of Peace. He wasn't going to see his son become everything he knew he could be.

What a waste. He lived his entire life, fought against such great evil, just to end up alone. All those adoring fans had long forgotten him. Every child who wrote about his inspiration now thought about anything but that one hero that fell in Kamino. How selfish of him. How could he think of himself while his family was suffering?

Poor Inko. She would soon get the news that he was dead, didn't survive that plainly simple surgery. She would cry for days, he knew. The horror of that single phone call would haunt her for the rest of her days. She would blame herself for not being there, but he wasn't going to be alive to stop those thoughts. He couldn't hug her and tell her how wonderful of a mother she was to Izuku. He wouldn't be there to catch her as she fell into her destructive thoughts.

Poor Naomasa. He was likely busy, but he would always look back on this day. He would look back and say "I wish I had just gone to that hospital." but no one could change the past. He would think of his dead friend whenever he saw their favorite cafe and he would cry. Toshinori wasn't going to be there to stop him from going back to his addiction. He would start drinking again, might even skip a few days of work for a bottle of alcohol. No one was going to stop him.

His poor class was going to mourn his death, saying silly things like, "If only we were better students." or "I wish I visited him more". Young Bakugou would get angry again. He would blame himself for no showing up. He didn't need that. He had already lost so much, but Toshinori wasn't going to be there to give him hugs he refused to accept.

And poor, poor Izuku. How was he going to heal? He always talked about how much Toshinori meant to him. His poor son would have to find a way to move on, just like he himself had to after Nana's death. No one would be around to tell him that enjoying a party is okay, even if someone is dying as you do it.

His lung ached for breath, but it never came. He could feel the blood run down his throat and the urge to cough became painful, but he couldn't do anything about it. His limbs felt heavy and weak, and his mind grew fuzzier with the lack of oxygen. His eyes were unfocused and shapes blurred together. Everything hurt so badly, but was death supposed to be pleasant?

Suddenly, he was able to draw in a single breath and choked on blood. Panic set in and Toshinori tried to grab something, anything, but his limbs didn't respond. He didn't want to die. He wanted to see his son's face again. He wanted to see Inko's smile and hear Naomasa's laugh. He wanted to feel Young Bakugou halfheartedly push away his hugs and see him pout. He wanted to show his love for his family. He wanted to live.

After so many years of acceptance, he no longer felt that calm understanding that came after Nighteye told him he would die. He wanted to fight this, run from fate for only a little longer. Waved of ice ran through his body and shapes began blurring again. His mouth hung open, unable to for words or expressions.

He was going to die alone. The thought repeated over and over again until his temples pressed into his skull with an unbearable pressure. Consciousness began to slip and right as his eyes began to go black, the door opened, letting light fill the room. Or maybe that was just his imagination.

Another wave of terror and dread washed over him before he felt his heart give it's last beat. Toshinori was gone.

Author notes: This in an extension chapter but it also fits into the beginning of the story! I hope you cried because I sure did. If you have any ideas for extension chapters or other ideas to share, please feel free!


	15. The End Result

It was three full weeks after Izuku came back to his own time. He had made amends with his friends, apologizing for shoving them away and refusing their comfort. He also found that Kacchan had been the one to lead the search for him while he was away in the past. The thought of his childhood friend still cared about him put a warm smile on his face. How was he so blind before?

Of course, Izuku had told those he deemed trustworthy his whole story, like his mother, Ururaka, Kacchan, Gran Torino -although he already knew- and Detective Tsukauchi. Uruaka had responded better than he first thought. She found it fascinating and asked more questions than Izuku really knew how to answer. "You got to see All Might again, right?" Her tone was careful, but comfortable.

"Yes and no. He wasn't really the same person that I knew before, at least not in experience. He was young and innocent. I've never seen All Might talk so openly or show so much of his pain. This was before he learned to cover everything with a smile. This was before the world started pulling him down." Izuku smiled at the memories he made with Toshi. The games they played, conversations they had, wrestling, cooking, crying.

"I bet you were nerding out like crazy, huh?" she gave him a teasing wink. Then her smile eased into a genuinely joyful look. "Deku, I'm so glad you got this chance. It was...hard to see you destroy yourself. I never knew how stable you were or if I could do anything to help you. Even seeing All Might made you upset."

Izuku felt the guilt come back, but at least he could truthfully say he's changed. "I'm really sorry, Ururaka. I really messed things up." He let out a sigh. "Mom pulled out the stuff All Might left us yesterday. I wanted to show you one of them." IZuku pulled out the sketchbook and flipped through it, letting her stop at any page to see the beautiful art.

"Oh my gosh, Deku! This is amazing! It makes you wonder why he never drew comics." She laughed, but it cut off into a gasp at the last page. "Is that…" Her finger hovered over the page and a hand clapped over her mouth.

"He remembered me, Ururaka. That means this future is slightly different from the one I grew up in. Isn't that crazy?" He let her hold the sketchbook and look through the rest of the drawings Toshi did of him.

"This is going to mess me up for a while." She whispered. "Izuku…" She turned to look at him, holding the sketchbook close to her chest. "Thank you so much for sharing this with me. I can't imagine how special this is to you and...I can't lie. I still miss him. He might have been a little rusty at first but he turned out to be a great teacher. Sometimes, I have to ask myself what All Might taught me. What would he say if I made certain decisions."

Izuku wasn't sure how to respond, so he pulled her in for a hug, like Nana used to do. How did he get so lucky to have a friend like her?

Kacchan reacted similarly. He was shocked at first, but eased into a general grumpy mood at Izuku explained it. With Kacchan, Izuku was able to share more details, talking about Nana and how he used to see her in the dreams he had back in UA. The conversation was more or less one sides, Izuku doing all of the talking. Once the story was over, Kacchan thought it over before only saying one thing. "I'm surprised you didn't waste your chance to change the future on your stupid nerd stuff. You didn't even make another journal for all those heroes you met." The explosive hero left before he could respond.

The talk with the detective was more objective, filling in the details without emotion. "I'm not sure how I was sent back. The fight was too chaotic to really tell." Izuku muttered.

The detective was quiet for a while, rubbing at his forehead. "After we captured All For One, he gave us a bit of information that meant nothing to me until just barely." He stood up and pulled a file from a cabinet. Sitting back down, he pulled out a single post-it note and handed it over. "He said, 'I gathered a time travel quirk a while back, but it could only be used to send people back to a time they already lived in. What a silly quirk'. The woman you said sent you back, was noted to be quirkless since childhood."

A shiver ran down Izuku's spine. All For One took her quirk. But why would he? To give himself the power to remove him from the picture if needed? That's obviously what he did. Nana was still head because the villain managed to sent Izuku back.

"Thank you for this information, Deku." The detective stayed professional as they stood, shook hands and walked toward the door. Just as he walked through the door, a hand landed on his shoulder, pulling him back inside.

This time, the detective gave Izuku a sad but fond smile. "Toshinori would be really proud of you."

Izuku's throat closed but he managed to smile and nod. Hearing those words from someone who didn't know All Might meant next to nothing. Hearing it from someone who knew him for almost ten years? That meant the world to him.

…

Izuku had that dream again. Darkness swirled around his mouth, but he found that he was able to move the rest of his body. Did he die? Was that why he could suddenly raise his hands?

"Izuku, my boy."

That voice made the green haired boy freeze. That voice, loud and booming. He could it really be him? Turning around, Izuku was met by the smiling face of All Might. He couldn't scream or cry -he wasn't sure which one he wanted to do more- so he just stood there, staring.

He was healthy, the definition of a hero. He wore his golden age hero suit and had the same bulking muscles he used to have, before that first fight against All For One. He was perfect and smiling down at Izuku. That smile. It made his heart hum with warmth and a bit of sorrow. How long had it been since he last saw the hero All Might? Not just on a poster or in a video, but in person? Too long.

Izuku immediately leapt forward and wrapped his arms around his mentor. His father. His body shook with silent sobs and he could feel tears run down his cheeks. All Might let out a booming laugh and returned the embrace.

"I missed you too." His tone wavered with emotion, but is steadied again. "My amazing boy…" Izuku felt All Might hold him tighter and he hoped the moment would never end.

Sadly, All Might pushed him away to look the younger hero over. "Look at you!" His smile was brighter than the sun itself. "You're so strong! You've turned out to be an amazing hero, Izuku. I couldn't be more proud." His expression showed no lie. When the tears increased, the blonde laughed again. "You still cry a lot, but that's not necessarily something bad."

Suddenly, Izuku wanted to speak. He had questions for All Might but when he tried to form the words, they fell silent. His heart started to beat faster. This was his chance to see his father again! There had to be some way!

"My boy." All Might stopped him before he could spiral into panic. "I know that we left quite a few loose ends but I don't know if this is the time." A few other holders around him gave a sad smile and nodded. This time was limited. Turning back toward the shorter male, All Might gave him another hug. "Just know that I don't blame you, my boy. Not for my death, not for Nana's death or anyone else's for that matter." He whispered, like it was their secret. "Please, find it in yourself to live for yourself instead of your worries. The world needs your smile. I need your smile."

Izuku wanted to say it back. He had always needed All Might's smile and he always would. The embrace was cut short again and the world began to fade. Nana stepped forward, standing next to her successor. "We're all behind you, Izuku. You're not losing us any time soon. I promise." Her smile was different, yet the same in many ways.

"I promise." All might repeated, balling is hand into a fist and lightly tapping Izuku's chest with it, determination in his eyes. "Go save the world for us, my son."

The world was slipping away and all the green haired boy could do was nod furiously and hope to see them again. That same determination sparked inside of Izuku's chest. He'd blow them away. He promised.


	16. A Star's Light Dimmed

Melissa gasped audibly as she watched the news channel in horror. She had only been trying to catch up on whatever events were happening throughout the world. It was a slower day, the cold weather making her skin grow small goosebumps. She was waiting for Papa to finish that high tech engine he was working on before they ate dinner.

She dropped the tv remote and stared at the bold letters in complete shock: All Might is dead. It couldn't be true, could it? They had visited him not even a year ago. They were celebrating Papa's new lab and license. Melissa had gotten used to Uncle Might's new look over the years. His face was all over the news, even if he was a Japanese hero. Over years of facetimes and calls, that look became more familiar than the last.

Now, seeing a picture of her sweet uncle in a hospital bed, his skin almost as pale as the sheets, made her stomach churn. He looked thinner in that picture than he ever had. He no longer wore his bright smile as soft expression. He looked...empty. She was going to be sick.

Then, the anger set in. How dare the?! They took pictures of a dead man, in a hospital?! Who allowed those pictures to get onto the internet?! What monster would let something like this happen?! She was on her feet before she knew what she was doing and she screamed in pure anger. They took pictures of her uncle, dead, and he had no way of stopping them. They took advantage of his vulnerability to ruin his image further. No one needed to see this. No one needed to see this sweet, bright man dead.

Melissa wasn't sure when her father ran into the room, pulling at her flailing arms and tried to calm her down. Strong, tan hands took hold of her face, pulling it away from those media monsters. "Melissa." He pleaded, fear obvious in his expression. "What happened?"

Then, the realization that her dear Uncle Might was dead set in. She let her crazed expression fall into sorrow and she sobbed. Papa's strong arms kept her from falling and he pulled her to the couch, wiping her tears and whispering into her ear. Then, he asked again. "What's wrong?"

"P-papa!" Her voice broke with her sobs, but she couldn't care less. "He's gone, Papa. Uncle Might. He's-" She was crying too hard to finish her sentence. She couldn't say it. She couldn't say that she was never going to see him again. That she'd never feel his warm embrace or see his happy smile. She'd never laugh with him or have another movie night. She'd never talk to him again. How was she going to live without that light? Without that wonderful person?

"What do you mean? What's wrong with him?" His eyebrows furrowed and he turned to the tv for answers. Melissa could see the gears click into place as he stared. The soft "no" he whispered made her heart shatter completely.

A single tear built at the corner of his eye and rolled down to his stubble, dropping to the floor with gravity. Melissa tried to hug him, but he didn't respond. "Papa?" She tried to pull him away from the screen. She didn't want him to hurt, not like she did. He'd already lost so much. He had already had to lose her mother and his career. He still needed Uncle Might. They both did. "Papa, please!" She felt so small in the hand of fate. How could she fight against what nature decided?

"They took pictures." He whispered and she knew what he was thinking. "Why would they…" He stopped and slowly covered his mouth with mother hands. He sobbed gently and Melissa held him close. If that was all she could do, then she'd hold him until the world ended.

…

The funeral was held a week later. Both Melissa and her father flew to Japan the moment a ticket was available. One of All Might's close friends drove them from the airport to the hotel they planned to stay in. The few days before the funeral felt colder than usual, like the entire world held still. Melissa hated it.

The morning of the funeral, Melissa put on her finest dress and pulled her hair into a loose bun. Her make up was simple, easy to fix once she'd cried her heart out again. She stared at the mirror in a numbed depression. The corners of her mouth felt like weights, pulling her features into a sad frown. Uncle Might would've hated seeing her so sad.

Papa wore a nice, black suit. He slipped a dark blue flower into her hair, kissing her head softly. She couldn't bring herself to smile for him. They walked out of the hotel in silence and met at the old forest near the edge of Musutafu. They saw the crowd that had gathered, each wearing their own variety of black dress clothes.

Melissa got out of the car and looked for one face she knew would be there. If anyone was going to be at Uncle Might's funeral, it would be his successor. When she didn't find the familiar head of green hair, her heart ached painfully.

All of Izuku's classmates were there, except for the few that didn't make it to their third year, of course. Kirishima, Asui, Ojiro and Hagakure had died in an attack from that gang of villains a while back. She remembered how painful it was for Uncle Might to teach without breaking down.

Izuku's mother made the opening speech. She had obviously been crying for hours, but there was no judgment. They had all cried. "I don't want to come up here and say what everyone already knows. We all know what an amazing hero Toshinori was and how he inspired us all to be better. There's no denying that, but not I'm here to tell my own experience with him." she took a deep breath and continued. "He was like an angel sent from heaven. After Kamino, he spent his precious time with me, just to ease my worried. He spent even more time getting to know me and dared to prove each of my doubts wrong. He wasn't just a hero to Japan, but a hero to me and my family as well.

"Once, when I was sick from food poisoning, he visited me." She laughed softly and wiped away a stray tear. "He brought me an entire box of chocolates and six blankets with dolphins and puppies on them. He tucked me into bed, made me tea and took care of me for days. Whenever I worried about being a burden to him, he'd shake me away and say that he wanted to." She began shaking as more tears fell. Ururaka walked up to the center and pulled her to the side.

Then, it was Papa's turn. He cleared his throat and gave a sad smile. "Hello, I'm going to assume all of you know me, so I won't introduce myself." He laughed to himself to fill the silence that followed. "When...when I worked with Toshi as his sidekick, I got a daily reminder of how amazing he was. How powerful he could be. It seemed like be got better after ever punch, defeating more villains, getting bigger. He was a real beef cake by the end of it all."

A few people laughed at that one. Melissa couldn't bring herself to do the same. She could barely feel anything at all. "I remember this one time, late at night. We had just gotten back from a harder rescue mission and were getting ready for bed. He started crying and I wasn't sure what to do. This man hadn't cried the entire time I knew him, not once. He braved the most terrifying villains like it was a breeze, saved injured children like they'd just scraped their legs. When I asked him, all he could say was, 'I didn't save Lucas'."

Papa got quiet for a while before continuing. "Lucas was the only child who died that night. He was crushed before any of us could even find him, and Toshi couldn't let himself count this mission as a victory, because that child died. That night, Toshi taught me what it really meant to be in the hero field. Being a hero doesn't mean you fight the bad guys and kiss the girl at the end. Being a hero means you protect those who can't protect themselves. Being a hero means you take a beating over and over again just so someone else can live a happier life."

When Papa looked up, he locked eyes with Melissa. She gasped at the strong gaze. "Everyone here is a hero. We smiled, even though it hurt, because Toshi needed it. We still are heroes, braving these terrible feelings in order to keep him with us. I hope we continue to be heroes, sharing everything Toshi was, even though it hurts, in order to help each other, like he would've."

Melissa began crying when Papa did. She felt the salty tears roll down her cheers and ran forward to hug her father as tightly as she could. If Uncle Might were there, he would've smiled. He would have smiled through the pain because she needed is. Now, she had to smile through the pain because everyone needed it. She had to smile through the pain, because she needed it.

She could do that. She could smile for Uncle Might. She could brave the terrors of this to heal. Who was she if she let such a great person's absence tear her apart? How could she consider herself a part of All Might's family if she wasn't willing to try?

…

The entire world mourned All Might's death. There was a day for his global funeral, where lights ran down the streets and stores were closed. Everyone gathered to the All Might statue in Kamino. There were more flowers than the world seemed to have. There were plates of food, pictures, gifts, posters. Anything to show their respects.

As Melissa stood in front of the large statue, she examined the crowds. She held a small figure of a black cat in her hands, waiting her turn to set it in front of the statue. It was the same cat Uncle Might had back when he and Papa worked together. She thought it was a nice gift.

Just as her turn came, Melissa heard a child crying, holding onto his mother. "I don't want All Might to be gone, Mama!" He sobbed, snot mixing with tears. "I want All Might to stay here!"

"I'm sorry, Sweetie. There's nothing we can do about it." The mother seemed distressed, trying to keep her child calm. "That's just how it has to be."

Melissa wasn't sure why she did it, but she walked away from Papa's side to kneel in front of the family of two. She gave looked between the two and smiled softly. "What's your name?" She asked in rough Japanese.

"Nashi." He sniffed.

"Hi, Nashi. I'm Melissa." She looked at her cat figure and slowly handed it to the child. "All Might had a cat like this once. Do you want it?"

The mother was about to refuse the offer, but Nashi took it before she could speak. "He did?" The tears seemed to be forgotten, if only for a moment.

"Yeah. Maybe, if you have that cat with you, it can protect you like All Might did." She gave him a more confident smile.

Nashi gasped and gave a soft laugh. "It can?! That's so cool!"

Melissa ruffled his hair and stood up, bowing to the mother in respect and walked back to Papa's side. If Uncle Might wasn't around to make these people happy, then she would have to do what she could to make up for that. Warmth spread through her chest as she watched the child's smile grow.

In that moment, she felt like she might be okay. She could heal from this, even if it meant living without her hero.

author's notes: I loved writing these last two extensions. I was going to write from Izuku's point of view for this one, but decided it would probably turn out better in Melissa's. Izuku's denial and blocked emotions would make this scene get difficult and I also wanted to show the Sheild's reactions to All Might's death. Sorry, it's sad again! Also sorry if anyone hasn't seen the movie by now!


	17. A Future To Live By

"Tenshi, get your shoes on! We're going to be late!" Izuku shouted as he walked through the house, gathering his mask and a stack of graded papers. He'd already been late this week and the other teachers were always teasing him for his tardiness.

"Ochaco? Where did I put my keys?" A look at his watch set him into the second stage of panic mode. "Never mind, I don't have time to drive! Tenshi!" A quick walk to his daughter's room showed the root of his anxiety this morning. Tenshi was still playing with his old action figures, pretending to fight against her Dinosaur stuffed animal. Izuku sighed and gathered her shoes. She'd have to wear her pajamas to school today. "Tenshi, we're leaving."

She looked up from her game and pouted, just like her mother. "I don't wanna go, Daddy! Aku's gonna make fun of me!"

For a moment, Izuku forgot about being late for work and knelt next to his beautiful daughter. Her deep green hair -almost as dark as his mother's hair- was pulled back with Ochaco's favorite hair tie. She held her mother's soft cheeks and his freckles. Her hair was more curly than her mother's, but not quite as unruly as his own. She was an angel and they were both blessed to have her.

"Why would Aku be mean to you? I thought he was your friend?" Izuku could hear the concern in his own voice. Ochaco was always better at this.

"He said my quirk's silly and his daddy's a better hero. It's not true! You're the Number One Hero! No one's better!" She glared at the stuffed dino as if it had been Aku.

Sighing, Izuku slipped her slippers onto her feet. The Deku symbol very largely printed on each shoe. They were her favorite. "Tenshi, sometimes you just have to let people think they're right." Another check at his watch proved that he would be late no matter how fast he ran.

Silently, the two walked out of the young girl's bedroom, but she refused to let go of the action figure. That was fine. If she needed it to face Aku at school, then she could bring it every day for all he cared. Ochaco smiled at the two and handed the pack lunch to Tenshi. "Have a good day, Sweetie. You too, Izuku. Don't get yelled at too heavily." She gave him a light kiss -to which Tenshi laughed at- and they left.

Izuku pulled his daughter into his arms and lept into the air, making it to the school in a manner of seconds. His daughter always loved when he jumped her to school, feeling the air against her face and seeing the city below. Izuku couldn't complain. He loved it too.

Once they were finally on the ground, Izuku walked her to the front and gave her a kiss before waving her off. She fell into line with Oophaga, Tsu and Tokoyami's child. He watched the two walk until he could no longer see them. Deciding he's spent enough time at the front of the school, Izuku made the jump to UA, hoping Nezu would cut him some slack. He was the number one hero after all.

"You're late again, Deku." A pair of dark eyes watched him walk into his class with a very judgmental look.

"Sorry, Shinsou." He huffed and flopped his stack of papers onto his desk. "Thanks for coming for me. Tenshi wouldn't-"

"I don't need your excuses, just get here on time." He glared over his capture weapon and left the room. He really was too much like Aizawa.

Shaking off the encounter, he smiled at his class. 1-A. The class he had been in when he attended UA. A wonderful class indeed. "I'm sorry for being late, class. I have your papers, so could I have someone help me pass them back?"

A hand shot up and Izuku smiled. "Thanks, Young Mouto." He handed the pile over and turned to the board. "Today, we'll be starting our last project for this semester. I'll call it, Hero Study. Each of you need to choose a hero to study and make a presentation about. I'll give you two weeks, which means I expect a lot of effort put into these." He wrote the title down on the board and put a few dots below.

"Any questions, first?" There were many. He chuckled to himself and went down the row.

"Can the hero be deceased?" "yes." "Can the hero still be in training?" "No, but good question." "Can I choose a hero that never existed?" The last question caught Izuku off guard.

"What do you mean by that?" he tilted his head to the side.

"Well, what if I wanted to do a study about Coolerman? He's not real but I think we can learn a lot from him."

That was certainly a good hero choice. "Sure, but be careful. It might be hard to do a report on a character that doesn't have very much information."

Of course, there were a few questions about the expectations and if they could use certain fonts. Once each question was answered, he continued. "First, you will analyse the hero's weaknesses and strengths. Then, you will show me how that hero could have improved. I will need to know your hero by the end of today, tomorrow at the very latest. Now, get researching."

He left the room for a moment to get the rubric from the printer. As he passed the 1-B class room, he heard a specific blonde poke his head out. "Did I just hear that the great Deku was late to class _again_?! So much for 1-A being the special class! All it seemed to do was raise a group of sla-" Monama tripped on his own feet and face planted in the hall. Izuku ignored him and continued walking.

As the green haired hero walked back to his class room, be debated on getting himself a cup of coffee from the teacher's lounge. He was getting tired and a good cup could help. Deciding it was better to not leave his class alone for so long, he hurried back. They weren't anywhere near as destructive as his class had been, but they could still do some damage. There were quite a few more possession quirks than there had been in any past years -at least that's what Shinsou said- and he knew what a mess those could be.

Returning, he found the class to be quietly studying. Thank goodness. He passed out the papers and sat back down, waiting for someone to come up and share their hero. The first one to stand up was Young Sairento. He smiled brightly and signed the name of his hero, Hawks. He was an older hero, but a good one at that. Izuku smiled and marked it down.

A few other students shared theirs: Air Jet, Bubble Girl, Gang Orca, Hound Dog, Kamui Woods, Mt. Lady, and Thirteen. All amazing heroes. Izuku mentioned that a few students could ask him for stories about some heroes. He knew a lot of good things about Bubble girl and Thirteen.

A few students wanted to do him, but decided against it when he said they wouldn't receive extra credit for it. One student wanted to do Eraserhead, and Izuku slid them the old hero's contacts. Interviews with their hero were encouraged.

Once everyone had chosen a hero, the class was let out for hero training. Izuku smiled at each young teen as she left, rushing to the lockers. When he turned back to the classroom, he saw a single student sitting in their seat. Young Kincho. He seemed to be struggling with something and Izuku walked over, ready to help.

"Why are you still here?" Izuku asked, but it only proved to make the young hero jump. He didn't say anything however, keeping to himself for a while before looking up. He had light hair that fell into his face, covering one eye. This was his only quirkless student.

"I...I wanted to do a hero…but I didn't know what you'd...think." He muttered.

"What hero is that?" He asked softly.

"I wanted to do All Might, but...now I want to do Ground Zero. He was one of the many heroes inspired by All Might but never made it to the Number One spot. He's just...interesting." he muttered.

Izuku let a soft smile spread onto his face. "If I were in your shoes, I would've chosen All Might immediately. He was the first Symbol of Peace after all, and even taught me personally." The students face contorted into a sad expression. "But." Izuku continued. "I'm not you. Everyone knows and loves All Might, but it takes personal experience with him to really know his weaknesses, which you can't really get. He would be nearly impossible to do for this assignment. Ground Zero, on the other hand, is more balanced. He's crazy powerful, but also crazy in general." Izuku laughed to himself. "Ground Zero is a good choice."

Young Kincho smiled and nodded. "I'll do him then." He answered with determination and gathered up his papers. "I'll see you later, Deku-sensei!" he shouted as he ran out of the room, trying to catch up to the rest of his class.

Izuku nodded to himself. "He's going to make a great hero."

…

"Again." Izuku stood next to the tree, watching his successor try to hold the bubble of water in the air for as long as he could.

The bubbles popped and fell to the floor. Kota growled in frustration and kicked the wet floor. "It's stupid! I can't do it!" He shouted, throwing his red hat with two yellow spiked to the floor.

Izuku sighed and tried to find another angle. Maybe this was pointless. "What would you suggest doing then?" He tilted his head, waiting for the black haired teen to respond.

"I'd rather just do some normal training! This stuff is getting water everywhere!" He groaned and huffed. He was a more difficult teenager to teach. He was angry -not quite like Kacchan had been- and always gave up too quickly. He had that hero spirit, but it took quite a bit of pressure to pull it out. Did All Might struggle this much while teaching Izuku? He hoped not.

"Oh, come on, Kota." Eri smirked, crossing her arms. She liked to join them for training, using her quirk to keep Kota from breaking any more trees. Sadly, Izuku's successor had barely gotten the hang of One For All by the time school started and was still struggling to control his strength. "You're not going to quit now, are you?"

"No! I just wanted a beak!" He huffed and pulled more water into the air, shaping it into spirals before releasing it back into the pond. A light blush dusted his cheeks and Izuku gave his own smirk. They were going to make a good team some day.

"I'm back with snacks! Aw! You started without me?!" Mirio pouted. He had become Eri's official guardian once he was old enough and raised her with Aizawa and Yamada's help. They made a sort of family for her and Shinsou.

"Kota's getting mad again. Maybe you should've given One For All to those fish instead." She teased, which just mate Kota blush more. Izuku wasn't sure if it was out of anger and embarrassment anymore.

"Is that so? I think Kota makes a better hero, but they might look cuter." Mirio laughed, setting the bags of candy and chips to the side.

"Shut up, guys!" Kota hissed and almost succeeded in hurling a ball of water at the two, but Eri made it disappear before either could get wet.

Izuku sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He enjoyed the company Eri and Mirio brought, but sometimes, they only made problems. "Kota, try again. I want you to hold it in the air for as long as you can. If you're fighting in an area with less water, then you need to learn to use what you have."

Kota let out a long groan but did as told, holding a bubble in the air. This time, when it was about to pop, he manipulated it into swirls and carried it through the air in different shapes, like balancing a sword on the tip of your finger. He lasted several minutes like this before it all dropped. Izuku cheered and patted his student on the back.

"That was so good! Even if you couldn't keep it in one place or shape, you still managed to keep it up! I'm proud!" Izuku praised.

Kota blushed again but pouted. He wasn't the best at receiving praise, but that was alright. Izuku hadn't been good at that at his age either.

As the night went on, Izuku wrapped up training, reminding his successor to smile and stay strong. Kota was there when the League of Villain attacked. He knew how horrible hero work could be. He also knew the sacrifice each hero made.

Even as Izuku thought back on his time in the past -as he did often- he wouldn't trade this time for any other. He had his family, his students and his successor. That was all he needed.

Author's notes: I typically don't write stuff with ships to avoid any backlash or anything, but this one kind of called for it. I'm a pretty ship neutral person and only used the ships I did for this extension because it fit with the story best. Sorry, we didn't get Ground Zero being the angry Uncle like Gran Torino! forgive me! I enjoyed writing this extension for you guys!


	18. A Familiar Face

The day Toshinori met Izuku Midoriya, a bell started to ring in the very depths of his mind. Something about him was familiar, but he couldn't quite place what it was. So, he ignored that little bell as he told the boy that he couldn't become a hero. He had been quirkless himself and knew that despite all his best efforts, it could never be done. He also ignored that bell when he found that same curly, green haired kid fighting off the sludge villain _he_ had lost to save a classmate. That boy raced forward, knowing he had no extra power or chance at even winning, but tried anyway. In that moment, with the bell ringing, Toshinori realized that this would be his next successor.

As Young Midoriya worked on his American Dream Plan training, that bell would frequently go off. It was annoying by this point and frustrating that he didn't know how he remembered; so, later on that night, Toshinori made it his personal assignment to figure it out. He looked through file upon file to check the names and images of every single person he had saved. Some went unnamed, obviously. In certain scenarios, it was just impossible to get them all, but not once did the name Midoriya come up. How did he know this kid?

There were other possibilities too. Over almost thirty years of hero work and being the Symbol of Peace, it was common for Toshinori to meet fans wherever he went. Some were at conventions that he was invited to. Others saw him on the streets during his patrols. Some even came as a coworker's child who was absolutely obsessed with him. Any of these could be a possibility but the best way he could check to see if Midoriya qualified for any of them was to simply ask.

"I am here, to ask Midoriya about his fanboy experiences!" Toshinori shouted as he landed on the sand of the beach. The boy was making a lot of good progress here, having cleared almost a tenth of the are. Someone could probably have a picnic in the space he's made, but likely nothing else. Still, for a boy without a strength quirk, clearing those large boxes and cars were difficult. He was proud already,

"Ah! All Might! Where did you come from?!" The boy shouted, surprised by his sudden appearance. He was wearing an T-Shirt that read 'flannel shirt', ironically. Another bell rang.

Toshinori released his form and spoke through the blood in his mouth, most of his spilling out onto the sand. "Ghak-I wanted to ask a few questions about your experiences as my Number One Fanboy." The little nickname made the boy flush several shades of red.

"M-My experiences? How so?" The boy rubbed at his freckled cheeks in a sad attempt to erase the blush.

"Well, you know. Conventions and signing booths for heroes. They're pretty popular and I meet a lot of people there...so, have you been to any?" Toshinori likely already knew the answer. Midoriya must've gone to one, with how much he loves heroes. He was sure that was it.

"Oh, yeah! I went to a few when I was younger but haven't gone to any lately. Mom's been a little tighter on money since I started middle school...but that's probably more than you want to know!" The boy blushed again. "Why?"

Instead of answering, Toshinori "Have you ever been to one when...I was there?"

Midoriya took a moment to think but shook his head. "No, sadly. Those were a lot more expensive and even if I could go, Mom wouldn't let me. There are so many kids that go missing in those conventions especially and she was always worried."

Drats! "Well, what about in passing? Or anywhere else at all?" His hope was starting to lower.

Midoriya shook his head. "I hadn't seen you in person, let alone met you, until the sludge villain thing. Your agency is centered in Tokyo, although you used to have one in Mutsusafu a while back. It was around your bronze age when UA really started to change. The old pricipal handed over the school to Nezu, a mouse, bear, dog mammal with a quirk. It's actually pretty rare to see quirks in animals but he managed to get a teaching lisence by-"

"Kid, you're rambling." Toshinori suppressed a sigh. If he hadn't met Izuku through hero work, fan meetings or even coworkers, than why were these bells always going off? Instead of listening to the boy apologize for muttering again, he tapped at his chin to think. Midoriya. Did he have to go further back to figure this out? Maybe it was a relative. He's never met the boy's parents -or maybe he has and just needs to see them- but he doesn't remember ever seeing the last name Midoriya anywhere. Maybe, this was something he had to take to the people himself.

The next week, Toshinori told Midoriya that he wanted to meet the boy's parents. Of course, he was flustered and asked millions of questions. Why did he want to meet his mother -was the father in the picture?- and why so suddenly? Was it about their quirk? Was this going to be a dinner thing? Was he in trouble.

All Toshinori said was to inform her that he's training the boy and suggest that they meet. Of course, it wasn't so easy. Upon arriving, Toshinori realized that she didn't know about their training and though that he was working up her son to fail. He was quirkless and couldn't even apply to UA. It was a rule that Toshinori hadn't really thought about before then, but now, he thought it was stupid. Why not let a quirkless child into UA? They could go to the general studies course at very least.

"I apologize for keeping this a secret from you, , but I think that your son has great potential. He's very intelligent and has a high chance of getting into the police department at the very least. They always work with quirkless people who want to do hero work. They're very safe." That last bit wasn't a complete lie.

"But I don't even know who you are!" The woman looked frantic at the thought of some creepy, old, homeless skeleton of a man training her son on a beach.

"I'm Yagi Toshinori." He offered his hand to shake. "I'm a licensed trainer and work with other kids like Izuku often." The licensed part might've been a stretch and he didn't technically work with young heroes yet, but he wasn't here to tell her the full truth. "I promise that all of the training your son has been doing is safe and secure. I've done it myself, actually."

"Oh...So, you're the one who gave him that schedule and diet?" She didn't look suspicious, which was a relief. Instead, she looked curious and surprised even. "I have to say, I do appreciate the hope you've given him. I don't think I've ever seen him to excited to go outside and work out ever day. And dinners have been more exciting to say the least."

That was good. "Thank you, Mrs. Midoriya. It's a pleasure to work with him." Now, he had to ask the question he came here for. "I have to ask, though...your son is quite the fan of All Might." He gestured to the home decorations to prove his point. She even had an All Might mug in her hand. It was a bit scary. "Are you a fan yourself?"

The woman flustered, just like her son, but chuckled as she rubbed her freckle-less face. "Oh, I don't know about that. He's a great hero and does protect the people with everything he has. He's pretty handsome too -in an objective sense! I mean, I could look at anyone and admit that they're handsome, especially All Might -or not All Might too! Anyone! And I could say that they're attractive without...well...oh, this is embarrassing."

It was shocking, how similar the two were. Toshinori fought his own blush at being called handsome -even though it wasn't exactly a rare thing- so many times and pressed forward. "Have you ever met the hero? In person?" He was hoping the answer would be yes. He really was.

"Oh no! Never! Those conventions cost so much and all those people...it makes me nervous." The kid sure wasn't lying. "He has visited Musutafu, like he is now, but I've never actually met him. Izuku has, though! He showed me his autograph and told me all about it!"

Toshinori winced at that. "All about it, huh? What...what did he say?"

"Oh, how All Might had been so nice and just as heroic as he thought. He said that he was so nervous, meeting someone so important and famous, but he managed to get the hero alone for a chat. Isn't that so special? A personal talk with your idol. Anyone would pay to get a chance at that experience." The woman seemed to genuinely happy for her son.

It was a surprise to hear it, honestly. Toshinori knew that he had actually ruined the boy's dreams but offered his quirk later, which is likely how he ended up with such an enthusiastic story. That still didn't make up for what he did, however, and Toshinori hopes that someday, the boy can forgive him for that. "That's wonderful, . Has anyone else, besides Izuku, met him?"

The woman looked confused before shaking her head. "Mitsuki mentioned that her son did, but it was more of a saving incident that a real meeting. They didn't talk or anything."

No mention of the father. Toshinori dared to look around the apartment but didn't see a shrine or memorial of any kind. In fact, there wasn't so much as a picture with the man in it. Not too strange, but it blocks Toshinori's chance at knowing the real reason he knows Izuku. As the night draws on, he decides to ignore it for now. He wants to genuinely get to know Izuku's mother -who requested he just call her Inko to make it less confusing- and find out what parts of her he can see in Izuku.

As weeks turn into months, Toshinori slowly begins to forget that the bell exists. He's run out of resources and even if he did a whole background check on the family, it wouldn't be very polite. He doesn't _need_ to know the answer to his questions, so he lets them be. That is, until he find out.

It was his first lesson at UA. He was straining and struggling to figure out how best to word ever single sentence. Thankfully, it was a simple team work exerciser. Two villains try to prevent the two heroes from getting the bomb. Simple enough. That is, until he realizes that Bakugou and Izuku have history and a bad one at that. They fight and bicker and brawl as Uraraka and Iida actually do the assignment. It's frustrating to say the least, seeing how this Bakugou kid treats Izuku and how the poor boy gets so nervous around him, until he doesn't.

It's during that fight that he hears it and the bells finally stop. "Deku."

He knows that name. He remembers hearing it as he was training with Nana every morning. He remembers hearing it as he learned to use One For All. Deku was the name of the hero who saved him from the foster system. Deku was the name of the hero who worried for his well being despite it not being his business. Deku was one of his inspirations, but never returned after the fight with All For one.

Deku, was his own sucessor.

...

Gran Torino figured it out much faster than Toshinori had.

"So, that kid was the time traveling hero. Pretty strange to say the least." The old man spoke from the other side of the phone. It was the first thing he said after just receiving Izuku for his internship training. Or some version of it, at least. It was all new to Toshinori.

"Yeah. How did you know?" Was it because the boy sighed up as Deku? That would make sense.

"I knew before I saw him. He said he was the Ninth holder, Toshinori. How did you forget that?"

How _had_ he forgotten that?

"Besides." Gran Torino continued. "He's still the same overthinking fanboy he was back then. Doesn't look too different either."

Toshinori nodded slowly. That would make sense. It's just been so long since he even though about that. Turning a page in his old sketchbook, he saw the illustration of Deku. The graphite was a bit smudged from the previous page, but it still looked just like him. Warmth filled Toshinori's chest as he looked at it. He could look forward to seeing this boy grow into the hero he knows he'll become.

Author's Noted: Yes! It's been quite some time since I did anything for this fic, but since it's kinda popular, I was thinking of fixing some of the errors. It was a really rough project and I intentionally didn't really try when it came to research or grammar errors. For now, though, enjoy this added extension chapter.


End file.
